Gillingham snatched a last-gasp winner as Robbie McKenzie fired home to claim victory at Barrow.
There wasn’t a lot of quality on display from either side, but Ronan Hale hit the woodwork for the Gills early in the second half and McKenzie fired home in the 12th minute of stoppage-time.
Gillingham picked up three points to end a run of three straight defeats, but also some injuries.
Cameron Antwi and Armani Little both limped off. Bradley Dack didn’t come on and was potentially carrying a knock himself as he didn’t warm up with the rest of the substitutes.
Barrow picked up a nasty injury of their own. There was a lengthy stoppage in the second half as Jovan Malcolm received treatment on the pitch, following a strong and untidy challenge from Ethan Coleman, which led to the home player taken off on a stretcher.
The game was a battle between a Gillingham team with one win in six and a Barrow side who had won just once in their previous nine games.
Gills’ poor form had seen them drift into mid-table obscurity, while Barrow were outside of the relegation zone on goal difference. They’d thrown away a 2-0 lead in their last game, losing to a stoppage-time own-goal.
Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth made six changes to his starting line-up following the previous week’s 3-0 home loss to Oldham.
Andy Smith and Sam Gale were returned to defence as Travis Akomeah dropped out of the squad.
Jake Turner was a surprise inclusion as he replaced Glenn Morris in goal.
Cameron Antwi made his first start for the club while Seb Palmer-Houlden and Robbie McKenzie returned to the XI.
Antwi’s afternoon lasted just half an hour. He picked up a knock following an early challenge and was replaced by Euan Williams, chosen ahead of Bradley Dack to come off the bench with an hour left.
Aaron Rowe, Williams and Lenni Cirino had all come into the squad while big striker Josh Andrews wasn’t involved.
With no target man to aim for, the Gills had to feed off second balls. Ronan Hale’s weak shot was the only effort of the first half that was on target, saved comfortably by the home keeper.
It was a low-quality half, unsurprising considering the form of the two teams.
Max Clark had an angled drive that wasn’t far off but the best chance of the first 45 minutes fell to McKenzie.
Hale laid the ball off to the midfielder, and with space to run into, he surged towards goal, ignored options around him and attempted to pick out the bottom corner. Sadly, he missed the target.
Barrow threatened in the last seconds of the half but reached the break without forcing Turner into a save.
The Gills almost made a great start to the second half when McKenzie’s deep cross was kept alive by Hale, and he got a shot away, striking the foot of the post.
Gillingham picked up their second injury of the afternoon as Armani Little went off shortly after the restart.
Barrow continued to struggle in front of the goal. Charlie McCann drove a free-kick into the Gillingham wall, and Josh Gordon blasted a shot wide.
The injury to Barrow player Malcolm led to a pause in play before he was taken off, and when play resumed, Andy Smith went close to scoring for the Gills, meeting a corner but heading wide.
The Gills had Barrow defending deep as the second half progressed, but were unable to make the most of any possession around the box.
Good defending from Smith prevented Barrow defender Niall Canavan from getting onto the end of a Ben Jackson cross and Joe Anderson hit the top of the crossbar with an inswinging corner.
Ainsworth made a triple change ahead of 12 additional minutes at the end of the 90.
Substitute Sam Vokes went close with a flicked effort from Rowe’s cross but keeper Wyll Stanway made the save. From that corner, Lenni Cirino’s ball in was cleared to McKenzie and he fired in low to claim the win.
Gillingham: Turner, Hutton (Rowe 90mins), Clark (Cirino 90mins), A Smith, Gale, Beckles, Little (Coleman 56mins), McKenzie, Antwi (E Williams 33mins), Palmer-Houlden (Vokes 90mins), Hale. Subs not used: Morris, Dack.
Barrow: Stanway, Barkhuizen, Anderson, Thompson, Canavan, Harper, McCann, Malcolm (Mahoney 71mins), Jackson, Gordon (Fletcher 91mins), Rose (Walker 95mins). Subs not used: Winterbottom, Anderson, Newby.
Referee: Ross Joyce
Attendance: 2,331 (237 away)
