Gillingham reserves had to settle for a 1-1 draw against struggling Eastbourne Borough as they returned to Totesport Football Combination Central Division action after a month off on Wednesday night.

The Gills fielded an experimental line-up of youth players and triallists, but were held by winless Borough at Priory Lane.

Eastbourne dominated most of the game and took the lead in first-half stoppage-time through an Andy Atkin header from a corner.

However the young Gills side equalised against the run of play on 64 minutes when youth team player Dean Rance drove home from inside the area and then withstood late pressure from the home side.

The point did, however, move the Gills level in the table with fourth-placed Crawley - though the West Sussex side have three games in hand.