Stockport 1 Gillingham 2

Gillingham earned themselves a place in round three of the FA Cup with a gallant display at Stockport on Tuesday night

Two first-half goals from Andy Barcham was enough to seal the win and a televised home tie with Premiership side Aston Villa in January.

A superb first-half performance saw Gillingham go into the break ahead after they recovered from conceding a dubious 17th minute goal.

Gillingham had started well with two chances falling to Simeon Jackson and one to Andy Barcham but it was Stockport who took the lead through Stephen Gleeson.

His goal came while Gills defender Simon King was lying on the floor with a head injury.

The referee Andy Hall allowed play to continue and Gleeson easily beat Simon Royce from 12 yards.

The Gillingham players were clearly rattled but they responded in the right way and just seven minutes later, Barcham equalised.

Ten minutes later, Barcham grabbed his second of the match, as Adam Miller ran half the length of the pitch before picking him out with a perfect pass, allowing the on-loan Spurs man with time and space to put Gills ahead.

Gillingham could have gone even further in-front before the break but home keeper Owain Fon Williams blocked a Jackson shot.

Early in the second-half, Royce had to be alert to deny Peter Thompson after Tommy Rowe’s through-ball cut open the Gillingham defence.

Defender Leon McSweeney almost turned Jackson’s cross into his own net on the hour and moments later, another chance from Barcham was heading goal-bound, only to hit Jackson and go wide.

Gillingham had to defend desperately at times and had to withstand four minutes of injury time before they could celebrate.

Manager Mark Stimson said: “We were outstanding - first class. We got a goal against us which I didn’t think was deserved but after that, everything I asked of the players they’ve given even more.

“I’ve seen this performance coming because we aren’t a bad side but this is about the Gillingham football players. They are the ones who have worked their socks off to go through to a massive game against Aston Villa and they deserve every single credit.

“I’m just here to pick the team and ask the boys to go and play.”

Listen to Gills captain Barry Fuller talking after the final whistle.

Gills: Royce, Fuller, Nutter, King, Richards, Bentley, Jackson, Miller (Mulligan 75mins), Weston, Jarrett (Lewis 83mins), Barcham. Subs: Pugh, Julian, Mills, Payne, Rooney.

Stockport: Fon Williams, Mullins, McNulty, Pilkington, Dicker (Rowe 46mins), Raynes (Thompson 45mins), Tunnicliffe, Gleeson, Taylor, McSweeney, Davies (Baker 75mins). Subs: Rose, Blizzard, Rigby, Turnbull.

Attendance: 3,329