Chesterfield 1 - 1 Gillingham

AN 89th minute goal from Chesterfield's Paul Hall denied Gillingham a second successive away victory at Saltergate on Saturday.

Hall was left all alone in the penalty area and kept his head to beat Jason Brown.

Gillingham had taken the lead three minutes into the second half when a fine cushioned header from Neil Harris found Tommy Black and his speculative shot from distance somehow found a way past Chesterfield keeper Barry Roche.

Black's first goal for the club came completely against the run of play after the home side had dominated the first 45 minutes.

Kevan Hurst almost gave Chesterfield the lead after 20 minutes but his first-time shot cannoned back off the crossbar, Jamie O'Hara and Aaron Downes both sent efforts narrowly over and Gills keeper Jason Brown saved superbly from Derek Niven.

Chesterfield also had a penalty shout waved away when they thought Andrew Crofts had handled in the box.

But the goal inspired Ronnie Jepson's side and they nearly doubled their lead just over a minute after opening the scoring when Alan Pouton hit the angle of post and bar with a blistering effort after Danny Spiller had been denied by a fantastic last-ditch tackle.

The home side began to come back into the game, though, and Brown made fine saves from Phil Picken and O'Hara, the second one a superb tip-over after a rasping drive.

Gillingham were also grateful to their keeper when he clawed Hall's effort back from on the goal-line as Chesterfield appealed for a goal.

But it seemed as if the Gills were going to battle their way through until Hall's late intervention.

Gillingham: Brown, Clohessy, Cox (Hope 16), Johnson, Jackman, Black (Mulligan 76), Spiller, Pouton, Crofts, Byfield, Harris.
Subs Not Used: Crichton, Rose, Grant.
Attendance: 4,652.