by Luke Cawdell

Cody McDonald headed home a late equaliser for Gillingham as their automatic promotion hopes faded at Priestfield.

Gillingham trailed Morecambe at the break to a hotly-disputed penalty.

The Gills threatened the visiting goal time and again but had to wait until the 85th minute for an equaliser.

McDonald was the man on hand once again to rescue Gills as he headed home John Nutter’s cross.

The goal preserved Gillingham’s long unbeaten run, extending it to 16 games, but with five points now separating them and the automatic promotion places with four games left it was still a costly afternoon.

Phil Jevons converted the early penalty to hand Morecambe the half-time advantage after Matt Lawrence was adjudged to have handled in the box.

Lawrence was battling for possession in the box with Jevons when the referee Danny McDermid spotted a handball and to the amazement of the Priestfield crowd pointed to the spot.

Jevons’ 20th minute spot-kick sent the Gills in a spin after they had started the match with positive intent.

Once keeper Alan Julian had saved from Jevons on four minutes the Gills attacked in numbers, but before and after the penalty they found visiting keeper Barry Roche in inspired form.

He beat away shots from Barry Fuller and Kevin Maher and turned Adebayo Akinfenwa’s headed wide of the goal on the dive.

The Gills ended the half on the offensive but were unable to right any of the damage done from the earlier penalty.

Both Gills manager Andy Hessenthaler and Lawrence were embroiled in heated exchanges with McDermid as the teams went into the interval.

With an hour gone, the Gills remained a goal behind and Hessenthaler introduced Luke Rooney to midfield in place of more defence-minded Maher, while Joe Martin made way for Nutter after picking up a knock.

Roche continued to keep thwart the Gills and he tipped McDonald’s low show wide as the hosts searched for a way back into the match.

Moments later McDonald, who for the first hour was relatively quiet, saw an overhead kick turned around the post by Roche again.

Danny Spiller’s low shot was saved as the chances continued but the Morecambe goal remained intact.

Finally, with five minutes left, Roche was beaten and it was McDonald with his 25th of the season to equalise for the Gills.

The Gills laid siege to the Morecambe goal in the closing minutes but had to settle for a draw and the solitary point.

Gills: Julian, Fuller, Martin (Nutter 59mins), Gowling, Lawrence, Weston (J Payne 69mins), Maher (Rooney 59mins), Barcham, Spiller, Akinfenwa, McDonald. Subs not used: Richards, Bentley, Jackman, Cronin.

Morecambe: Roche, Holdsworth, Cowperthwaite, Hunter, McCready, Hurst (Wainwright 73mins), Parrish, Haining, Carlton (Spencer 64mins), Drummond, Jevons (Brown 75mins). Subs not used: Bentley, Shuker, Walker, Aley.

Attendance: 5,545

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