Gillingham had a second goal disallowed at Cheltenham as the League 2 match finished 1-1.
Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s early goal was cancelled out by Sam Stubbs but Sam Gale had a goal controversially disallowed for Gillingham just before the half-time interval.
Referee Graham Scott had spotted an infringement after Cheltenham had appealed for handball.
The draw means boss Gareth Ainsworth holds onto his unbeaten start as manager, stretching that to six games. This was the fourth of those to finish level.
Good Friday’s match was a battle between 16th and 17th in League 2, with neither team able to challenge for promotion or get drawn into a relegation battle.
Manager Gareth Ainsworth insisted pre-match that the game still wouldn’t be short of competitive nature and the Gills were well backed for the holiday fixture, with over 700 fans cheering them on.
Ainsworth handed Nelson Khumbeni a rare appearance in midfield – a first since he took charge – while Jack Nolan and Jimmy-Jay Morgan were reintroduced to the starting eleven.
Morgan took just 90 seconds to make his mark as he capitalised on a clever set-piece move from Nolan. He slipped a free-kick into the Chelsea loan striker’s path and Morgan fired into the far corner.
Gillingham continued to hunt for goals but their early attacking intent soon faded.
It was a big test for 20-year-old Gills keeper Taite Holtam, making only his second senior appearance, with Glenn Morris still injured. The previous week against MK Dons he didn’t have a shot to face.
Arkell Jude-Boyd was first to test Holtam, having a pop from distance, the Gills keeper parrying the effort out for a corner.
The hosts got themselves back level on 22 minutes from a free-kick of their own.
Ryan Haynes delivered and Stubbs beat Gale to the ball with a cushioned header that had just enough on it to to beat the Gills keeper and Elliott Nevitt’s desperate attempt to clear on the line.
Jordan Thomas tried his luck from distance for the hosts, fizzing a shot just wide, before another effort later in the half cleared the top of the home end.
There were concerns when Holtam went down needing treatment after punching the ball clear and colliding with an opponent. Youth keeper Fletcher Hegarty had travelled but there was no recognised goalkeeper named on the bench.
Holtam was able to continue and the Gills thought they had retaken the lead just before the interval, from another well-worked set-piece move.
Nolan played the ball out to Max Clark, his cross was met by the head of Nevitt and Gale looked to have forced the ball over the line, only for the referee to harshly disallow it, seemingly for a handball.
Backwell shot wide for Town early in the second half during a period of pressure from the home side.
Gillingham’s best chances continued to come from set-plays. Nolan created another opening with a free-kick that led to Gale firing the ball across the face of goal but nobody was there to connect.
Holtam pulled off a good save to deny home substitute Ethan Willians as he tried his luck from distance.
Gillingham wrestled back some control of the match from the hosts in the latter stages, and Khumbeni was almost in on goal, but couldn’t dig the ball out from under his feet after beating the offside trap.
Matty Taylor fired wide on 90 minutes for the hosts while Oli Hawkins came close with a chance at the far post for the Gills in stoppage time.
League 2 table
Gillingham: Holtam, Hutton, Clark, Masterson, Ogie, Gale, McKenzie, Khumbeni (Rowe 84mins), Nolan (J Williams 71mins), Morgan (Dack 60mins), Nevitt (Hawkins 84mins). Subs not used: Gbode, Agbinone, Clarke.
Cheltenham: Day, Jude-Boyd, Haynes (Bakare 80ins), Stubbs, Bennett (Bradbury 46mins), Backwell, Kinsella, Thomas, Archer (Williams 61mins), Miller (Taylor 61mins), Dulson (Hay 61mins). Subs not used: Tustin, Diallo.
Referee: Graham Scott
Attendance: 4,702 (732 away)
