Gillingham 1 Aston Villa 2

Gillingham manager Mark Stimson felt the decision to hand Aston Villa a decisive late penalty on Sunday was harsh.

Referee Keith Stroud pointed to the spot and striker James Milner scored to give Villa a 2-1 lead and deny Gillingham the chance to take the third round FA Cup tie to a replay.

Stimson said: “The result was frustrating as I thought we were close to getting a draw. It was a big decision from the referee and it’s one where I’ve seen it given and also not given. Unfortunately for us we didn’t get the rub of the green.

“We just have to be careful when we’re defending in the area. You have to be hundred per cent or it gives the referee a decision to make and sometimes they get it wrong. I thought it was a harsh decision but it was a lesson to learn.”

It was Ashley Young who went down in the area under close attention from Adam Miller and Milner stepped up to score and deny Gillingham a deserved spot in the fourth round draw.

Stimson was disappointed with the defeat but praised his players after they took the fourth placed Premier League side all the way.

“They went out against a very strong Aston Villa side and gave a good account of themselves,” he said.

“I was disappointed with the result but the performance was encouraging.”

Gillingham were trailing at the break when with just 14 minutes gone Milner dispossessed Adam Miller of the ball, he passed to Stiliyan Petrov and calmly put the return pass past keeper Simon Royce.

Winger Dennis Oli got a sniff at goal with 21 minutes gone but he toe-poked his effort just the wrong side of the post. Seconds later a wayward back-pass put Simeon Jackson clean through but towering defender Zat Knight made a timely interception.

Despite the Gillingham pressure it could have been 2-0 to Villa on 40 minutes when Milner’s cross fell to Nathan Delfouneso but he made a mess of the finish with just Royce to beat. Villa finally began to have some chances of their own before the break with Ashley Young’s low shot saved and Craig Gardner coming an inch from connecting to Delfouneso’s dangerous cross.

With 59 minutes gone it was all-square when Royce’s long ball forward was flicked on by Mulligan and picked up by Jackson. He turned Knight with a great touch and rifled in his 12th goal of the season.

Gillingham were pushed back as Villa pressed for a winner. Delfouneso struck an effort an inch wide and Simon King had to twice block from Craig Gardner. Seconds later Curtis Davies headed just over.

With 78 minutes Villa were handed a contentious penalty when Miller was adjudged to have fouled Ashley Young in the box. Milner stepped up to take the spot-kick and despite Royce guessing the right way the ball ended up in the back of the net – a goal which sealed a win for Villa.

Read all the reaction from Sunday’s big cup clash in Monday’s Medway Messenger newspaper.

Gills: Royce, Nutter, Lewis, King, Bentley, Mulligan, Jackson, Miller, Oli, Weston, Barcham. Subs: Pugh, Julian, Essam, Rooney, Payne, Rance, Stimson.

Villa: Friedel, Sidwell, Young, Milner, Delfouneso (Harewood 73mins), Davies, Knight, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Gardner. Subs: Salifou, Guzan, Osbourne, Bannan, Clark, Lowry.

Attendance: 10,107.