Simeon Jackson is denied by keeper Owain Fon Williams during Gillingham's 0-0 draw at Stockport Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham picked up their fifth away point of the season after a goalless draw at Stockport on Saturday.

The draw extends the Gills’ run without a win away from home in League 1 to 18 games.

Gills boss Mark Stimson was hoping to finally end the barren spell away from Priestfield but had to settle for a point – one he was pleased to collect.

“I’ll definitely take a point,” said Stimson. “It’s a hard place to go and they are fighting for their lives. They’ve three home games in a week and reading the reports before the game they need to win all of them to stay up."

Stimson named the same starting eleven which beat Huddersfield the week before. The only change in the squad was on the bench where Jack Payne came into replace Kevin Maher. He was absent for family reasons.

The match, played on a terrible surface at Edgeley Park, started at a lively tempo with the hosts looking the more threatening.

Early shots from Paul Turnbull, Jabo Ibehre and George Donnelly failed to find the target and throughout the first 45 minutes neither goalkeeper was severely tested.

Gills striker Rene Howe was busy up front and he came just an inch away from connecting with Andy Barcham’s cross midway through the opening half.

Simeon Jackson hit an effort into the arms of keeper Owain Fon Williams and moments later the 17-goal striker put another shot well over the bar from 18 yards.

There were claims for a penalty from Barcham, as he went down in the box, but the referee ignored the appeals and half-time came with the game still scoreless.

Stimson was adamant that referee David Foster had got the decision wrong.

“We don’t like to moan about it too much but for me it was a stonewall penalty,” he said. “The guy took him out.”

An early chance in the second half for League 1's basement side Stockport nearly broke the deadlock when Turnbull glanced a header goalwards but Julian pulled off a great save to deny him.

At the other end Jackson was getting closer and a long-range effort went just wide of the post.

Jackson was withdrawn just after the hour mark, to be replaced by Dennis Oli, as he had been carrying an injury picked up earlier in the game.

Chances were falling at the feet of County striker Ibehre throughout the game, but he was being wasteful. When the hosts did find the target they found Julian in top form.

With 70 minutes gone he produced a great block to deny David Perkins and then tipped the long-range follow-up from Turnbull out for a corner.

Neither team managed to gain the upper-hand towards the latter stages and Gillingham’s long search for an away win continues.

Gillingham: Julian, Lewis, Nutter, Richards, Dennehy, Barcham, Miller, Weston, Jackman, Howe (Dickson 83mins), Jackson (Oli 63mins). Subs not used: Royce, Palmer, Bentley, Payne, Walker.

Stockport: Fon Williams, Mullins, Sadler, Swailes, Huntington, Partridge (Rowe 76mins), Tansey, Turnbull, Perkins, Ibehre, Donnelly. Subs not used: Gerrard, Fisher, Hare, L Barnes, S Barnes, Halls.

Attendance: 3,894