Tristan Plummer comes away from his marker

Gillingham earned a precious away point at Hartlepool on Tuesday night.

The Gills collected only their third away point of the season in League 1 at the Victoria Ground in a tightly fought contest.

Simeon Jackson’s 14 goal of the season had given the Gills and the 78 travelling fans hope of a first away win of the season as he put his side a goal ahead on 70 minutes.

With 11 minutes left it was all-square though when Neil Austin smashed home from the edge of the box.

Gills boss Mark Stimson was pleased with the point but knew it could have been more.

“It feels like a defeat because we were so close but I always look at the big picture,” he said. “Let’s be realistic here, it’s not a bad result.

“When Jackson scored we were thinking this could be our night.

“We came close and in the end got undone by a right-back hitting a shot from 25 yards and it bobbling in the far post.

“The boys are disappointed because we thought we had nearly cracked it but a point is a point and it’s a lot more than we have been getting away from home.

“We’ve got to look on the positives like I always do. It was a whole-hearted committed performance and there were signs of better quality than Saturday so we’ll look forward now.”

Gillingham ended the first half well with two good chances. Tristan Plummer pulled a shot inches wide with four minutes of the half remaining and moments later Rene Howe’s low shot was blocked.

Before that the Gills had rarely seen sight of the Pool goal and their only shot of intent had come from Simeon Jackson, but he lifted an effort well over.

Plummer had got into a good position midway through the half but the cross couldn’t match the jinking run for quality and keeper Scott Flinders held on.

Hartlepool had edged the opening 40 minutes but it was a shot from Joe Gamble in the dying seconds of the first half that came closest. His low drive went just wide of Alan Julian’s post.

Only a goal-line clearance from Kevin Maher prevented the hosts going in front, after Anthony Sweeney headed towards the top corner, with 10 second half minutes gone.

Gillingham’s best early chance of the second half fell to Howe but he was unable to get his shot on target as the game began to open up.

With 20 minutes of the game left the Gills took the lead through Simeon Jackson as he glanced Howe’s cross over the head of keeper Flinders.

Gillingham’s hopes of a first away win were dashed just nine minutes later when Austin hit a low shot from the edge of the area past Julian.

Gills: Julian, Fuller, Wynter, Bentley, Dennehy, Maher, Payne, Plummer (Rooney 59mins), Barcham (Yussuff 83mins), Howe, Jackson. Subs not used: Royce, Nutter, Lewis, Miller, Oli.

Hartlepool: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, Larkin, Sweeney, Gamble, Humphreys (Jones 66mins), Monkhouse, Behan (Boyd 71mins). Subs not used: Cook, Clark, Boyd, Haslam, Fredriksen, Bjornsson.

Attendance: 2,465