Midfielder Billy Bingham struggled to recall an FA Cup highlight but hopes this season’s campaign brings him some joy.

The Gills face Hartlepool in a first round replay on Wednesday night and the winners will play Slough Town.

Non-league opponents are standing in the way of Gillingham getting to the third round this season – something the Gills haven’t done since 2012 – but Bingham knows there are plenty of potential pitfalls in their path.

“It is not always the easiest route,” said the 28-year-old.

“It might sound like the easiest route (playing non-league sides) but it will be tough. We will look to advance as far as we can go.

“I have never really got that far. We have a chance this year but Wednesday won’t be easy. Every round there is a giant killer and it will be a tough game.

“They will have the fans behind them, they will make it hard for us, but we will have a positive mindset for the game. We will give it a good go.”

Bingham felt the weekend game was a frustrating one, losing 1-0 at Oxford.

“There wasn’t much in the game,” he said. “We managed to get a couple of chances second half, which we may have done better with. A few times we fell a little bit short but I do think we deserved a point out of the game.

“The boys gave a good effort and we were disappointed we couldn’t get the goal.”

The game was decided on a penalty, one which appeared to have been awarded following a foul by Tomas Holy on Marcus Browne but Bingham was told otherwise.

He said: “The referee said it was Gabriel Zakuani but I will have to look at it again because I don’t know where Gabz was at the time, I didn’t think he was anywhere near him.

“The referee did say it was Gabz that made the foul but I don’t really know where that is coming from.”