Fleetwood Town 2 Gillingham 2
Published: 16:45, 30 March 2013
Gillingham came away from Fleetwood with a point after the hosts twice came from behind.
Goals either end of the first half, from Danny Kedwell and Charlie Allen (pictured), helped put the Gills ahead at the break.
Jamille Matt had scored Fleetwood’s opening goal and he struck again to level the scores midway through the second half.
Over 500 Gills fans had made the trip north to see their side extend their unbeaten run away from home to 14 games.
There were two changes to Gillingham’s starting XI, as Callum Davies came in for his first start since Boxing Day, while Adam Birchall returned to partner Danny Kedwell upfront.
With Antonio German returning to Brentford, following a month-long loan stint, and Charlie Lee missing with a sickness bug, Gills boss Martin Allen elected to include youngsters Josh Hare and Sam Muggleton on the bench.
The Gills hadn’t scored a first half goal away from home in their previous seven games but with just three minutes gone at the Highbury Stadium they were infront.
Birchall was alert enough to pounce on Nathan Pond’s back-pass and the Gills striker back-heeled the ball into the path of Kedwell, who curled the ball around the keeper into the top corner, for his 14 of the season.
Home keeper Scott Davies had to make two good saves from Birchall as the Gills striker had a lively first 45 minutes. He was seeking a first league goal for the club.
But the Gills found themselves back on level terms with 34 minutes gone, as a cross from the right was headed onto the bar from Gareth Evans, giving Matt an easy finish from close-range with a header of his own into an empty net.
Prior to that Gills keeper Stuart Nelson had only been seriously tested once, as he got down well to save from Evans, soon after Kedwell had opened the scoring.
But the Gills were able to restore their lead two minutes before the break, as Birchall laid the ball off for Joe Martin and his cross was headed home by Allen – for his second goal of the season.
Both teams found chances harder to come by at the start of the second half, although Davies had found himself through on goal early on, only to be out-muscled by Fleetwood’s Shaun Beeley.
With an hour gone both sides made changes. Big striker Jon Parkin came on for the hosts, as they went with two upfront for the first time, while Myles Weston replaced Birchall.
Scores were level once more on 69 minutes and it was Matt who scored again, with another simple finish, after Junior Brown had done all the hard work to get past the Gills defence.
Fleetwood then had two great chances to take the lead, as Matt smashed an effort wide and then Evans did the same with a volley. At the other end Weston sent a speculative shot the wrong side of Davies’ post from 30 yards.
Kedwell almost scored a winner with three minutes left but his header, from Charlie Allen’s free-kick, was brilliantly saved by the home keeper.
Gillingham: Nelson, Fish, Martin, Barrett, Legge, Davies, Allen, Whelpdale (Burton 78mins), Robinson, Kedwell, Birchall (Weston 63mins). Subs not used: Forecast, Hare, Muggleton, East, Gregory.
Fleetwood: Davies, Beeley, Barry (Parkin 60mins), Pond, Matt, Nicholson, Brown, Goodall, McGuire, Edwards, Evans (Mangan 84mins). Subs not used: Michel Fontaine, McLaughlin, Crowther, Lucas, McKenna.
Attendance: 3,033
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Luke Cawdell