Leon Legge enjoys his goal for the Gills at Aldershot. Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham had to settle for a point at Aldershot after fighting back from going a goal down.

Craig Reid fired the hosts ahead early in the second half but Leon Legge levelled the scores with 15 minutes left.

Despite the draw the Gills remain top of League 2 as second-placed Port Vale lost at Oxford.

Gills boss Martin Allen made two changes to his starting 11, with Myles Weston missing out through injury and Danny Kedwell coming off the bench to replace Adam Birchall. Matt Fish was back from a brief stint out injured.

Gillingham, backed by 981 visiting fans, arrived at the EBB Stadium boasting a run of nine league games without a loss away from Priestfield and clean sheets in the last five.

Good early pressure from Allen’s side saw Adam Barrett head an effort wide and Deon Burton drilled a shot into the side-netting.

But Aldershot – boosted by the recent arrival of new manager Andy Scott - came close themselves, with Stuart Nelson making a save from Danny Rose and Oliver Risser smashing an effort narrowly wide.

Just before the break Kedwell saw a shot deflected over the bar but an even half ended without a goal, just like it had in Gillingham’s previous three away outings.

Aldershot were bright from the restart and moments after Legge was forced into making a timely challenge to deny Danny Hylton, the hosts went ahead. Reid’s shot on the turn from the edge of the box found the top corner in the third minute of the second half.

It was the first time the Gills had conceded on their travels in more than eight hours of football.

Substitutes Bradley Dack and Antonio German came on for the Gills as they looked for a way through a stubborn Aldershot defence.

Reid came close again midway through the half but saw a low shot blocked by Nelson, as Aldershot went in search of a second to kill the game off.

But the Gills were on level terms when Dack set Whelpdale free down the right and his cross was headed home by Legge with 75 minutes played. And just a minute later Whelpdale again swung in a cross but this time keeper Jamie Young pulled off a great point-blank save to deny Kedwell.

Both teams pressed for a winner late on, with Young saving Steven Gregory’s injury-time strike, but the points were eventually shared.

Aldershot: Young, Herd, Tonkin, Hylton, Vincenti (Goulding 82mins), Risser, Forbes, Reid, Bradley, Cadogan, Rose. Subs not used: A Morris, Lancashire, Mekki, Stanley, Hall, G Morris.

Gillingham: Nelson, Fish, Martin, Legge, Barrett, Gregory, Robinson, Lee (Dack 58mins), Whelpdale, Burton (German 67mins), Kedwell Subs not used: Forecast, Davies, Richardson, Birchall, Williams.

Attendance: 3,267.