Gillingham were unable to make the most of their chances at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night as they were beaten in stoppage time.
A superb last-gasp effort from Mo Faal won the game for Cheltenham after they came back from a goal down against the Gills.
Ronan Hale had put Gillingham ahead in the first half, but a series of saves from home keeper Joe Day denied them a crucial second. The hosts levelled through Isaac Hutchinson and won it in the 95th minute when Faal volleyed home.
Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth said before the game that he was likely to mix things up, and he did just that, with four changes to the team which started the weekend game at Salford.
Conor Masterson returned to the centre of defence for his first start since a long lay-off, and midfielder Robbie McKenzie was also back in the eleven after injury.
Masterson’s inclusion meant a switch to a wing-back formation, with fellow centre-halves Andy Smith and Sam Gale keeping their places in the team. Both had been key to helping the Gills keep back-to-back clean sheets ahead of this one.
Sam Vokes replaced Seb Palmer-Houlden upfront, and Bradley Dack was included from the off, as pre-match injury doubt Garath McCleary was named among the subs.
Steve Cotterill’s Cheltenham had succeeded in their challenge of avoiding the drop at the weekend, thanks to a surprise 4-0 win over Walsall, while the Gills had reached 50 points on the Saturday.
It hasn’t been much of a season to shout about for either side.
Gillingham had goalkeeper Glenn Morris to thank late on at Salford after making a super double save, and he produced a great early block to keep Cheltenham out on Tuesday.
McKenzie had some rust to shake off and was caught out early on in possession, which allowed Jake Bickerstaff to run in on goal, but Morris got down well to make a save.
Gillingham barely threatened the opposition goal at Salford in the opening half at the weekend, but this was a different tale, with Hale’s 18th-minute goal being followed by a flurry of chances.
Hale netted his fifth goal for the Gills from just inside the area, driving a low shot into the bottom corner after running onto a flick from strike partner Sam Vokes.
Home goalkeeper Joe Day was then the main man for the hosts.
He saved well from Armani Little, who had been slipped in by a great throughball from Dack, and the home stopper continued to thwart the Gills.
He was at full stretch to deny Dack from a corner, and when Vokes had the ball in the net with a headed effort, the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
Day’s best piece of action came on 27 minutes, reacting well to save from Dack not once but twice, with a super double save.
Vokes put another effort wide from a corner at the end of a pulsating opening 30 minutes of action.
Clear-cut chances dried up in the last 15 minutes of the half, but a succession of late corners from the hosts put pressure on The Gills’ goal. Ainsworth’s men reached the break with the lead intact.
Gillingham came close to a second shortly after the restart, but Day was there again, this time to prevent Andy Smith from converting a cross from Masterson. McKenzie was unable to prod home the loose ball as James Wilson made a brilliant goalline block.
Day was needed again to make a crucial interception with almost an hour gone, after former Gills loan man Robbie Cundy had nearly gifted Hale a chance with a poor pass back to his keeper.
The hosts made a triple change to try and get a grip of the game and it wasn’t long before they were level.
Young’s cross from the right into the box found Hutchinson and he guided the ball past Morris for his 20th goal of the season.
Gillingham captain Little had to hack the ball clear from the goal line as Cheltenham threatened to score a second.
The Gills made changes late on but struggled to create a meaningful chance in the closing stages. Remeao Hutton tried something spectacular with a volley, which went out for a throw.
Nelson Khumbeni shot over the bar for the Gills in stoppage time but there was still time for a late winner, and it went to Cheltenham.
Josh Andrews headed the ball clear to the edge of the Gillingham area but substitute Faal was there and he smashed home a volley into the roof of the net to complete the turnaround.
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Clark, Gale, Masterson (Khumbeni 68mins), A Smith (Palmer-Houlden 77mins), Little, McKenzie, Dack (J Williams 93mins), Vokes (McCleary 77mins), Hale (Andrews 77mins). Subs not used: Turner, Cirino.
Cheltenham: Day, Jude-Boyd (Nurse 59mins), Cundy, Wilson, Tomkinson, Young, Ashfield, Hutchinson, Thomas (Miller 94mins), Davison (Faal 59mins), Bickerstaff (Broom 59mins). Subs not used: Diallo, Broom, Deeming, Martin.
Referee: Harrison Blair
Attendance: 3,161
