Gillingham 4 Aldershot 4

A defensive horror-show left Gillingham with just a point from a roller-coaster battle at Priestfield.

The Gills fought back from a goal down to lead Aldershot 3-1 thanks to a first half goal from Curtis Weston and efforts after the break from Mark McCammon and Andy Barcham.

But they then threw away their advantage as the Shots stormed back into the lead with a header from David Winfield, an own goal from Mark Bentley and a shot from an unmarked Andy Sandell.

The final goal came with 72 minutes gone when Adam Miller netted from the spot, after he was hauled down by Anthony Charles in the area, to end a run of two successive defeats for Gillingham at Priestfield.

The first 45 minutes were lively enough and that ended all square at 1-1 with two goals in two minutes.

Gillingham, who started the game with top scorer Simeon Jackson on the bench, were making the early running but it was the visitors who took the lead.

With 20 minutes gone Scott Davies whipped in a cross, Anthony Charles headed it back and Andy Lindegaard was there to head home.

Just a minute later Gillingham levelled when Adam Miller pulled the ball back to Weston to fire home.

Oli appeared to be tugged back in the area by Charles but nothing was given and Aldershot finished the half the stronger with Davies and Jake Robinson shooting wide.

Just four second half minutes had been played when McCammon, who had replaced Mulligan at the break, rose to head home Nicky Southall�s free-kick from close range.

Keeper Simon Royce was called upon to keep the lead intact minutes later with a one-handed save to deny midfielder Ben Harding.

Gillingham�s third came on 55 minutes as McCammon played Barcham through and the Gills forward rounded the keeper, but the visitors reduced the deficit just two minutes later, when Winfield headed past Royce.

A bizarre own goal from Bentley drew the sides level again as he nodded past his own keeper after Barry Fuller had tried to clear. With only 66 minutes played the Gills continued to capitulate as Sandell scored with a simple finish to put his side ahead.

The Gills brought it back to 4-4 with almost 20 minutes left to play when Miller calmly buried home a spot kick after he was tripped in the box.

Barcham almost won it with a one on one chance with the keeper but Alex McCarthy won the battle.

Gills manager Mark Stimson said: �There was some horrible defending for all of the goals and I wouldn�t even call it schoolboy � it was lower than that.

�The game plan was not to play it out from the back and the first goal came from us playing out from the back and that�s why it�s so frustrating being a manager.

�Some of our defenders had a bad, bad game.

�After scoring four goals at home everyone should be jumping out of the stadium and being happy � but we�re not.�

Have your say on the Gills SpeakOut section below.

Gills: Royce, Fuller, Richards, Bentley, Mulligan (McCammon 46mins), Southall, Miller (Jackson 73mins), Steer, Oli, Weston, Barcham. Subs not used: Nutter, Lewis, Julian.

Aldershot: McCarthy, Lindegaard, Blackburn, Charles, Soares (Hudson 63mins), Morgan, Winfield, Harding, Davies, Robinson (Hylton 80mins), Sandell. Subs not used: Day, Grant, Newman.

Attendance: 5,974