Gillingham must wait and see if they’ve done enough to make the EFL Trophy second round - not that their manager is fussed either way.

Boss Neil Harris isn’t a fan of having to play three extra games to compete in the Trophy competition but their draw against Colchester United might have put them into the next round.

• Report: Gillingham 1 Colchester 1 (5-4 on penalties)

Gills are second in the group on five points - picking up a bonus point by winning Tuesday’s game on penalties - while Colchester top the standing after completing three games on seven points. The top two from four go into round two. Charlton will take the second place spot from Gillingham if they beat Brighton under-21s on November 2, or draw the game and win on a penalty shootout.

“I would be majorly surprised if we get through with five points,” said Harris, after his side’s 1-1 draw with Colchester. “Charlton need to beat Brighton under-21s and I would be amazed if they don’t.

“We have dealt with what has been put infront of us and we have used the games for our purposes rather than the purposes of getting through. You want to win games of football but our priority has to be building this group and concentrating on the league.”

And if they get through? “Honestly, I am not really fussed,” said the manager. “If we get through it is another game we have to try and fit in, on top of the Brentford (third round League Cup) one.

“If we are through then we will play what is infront of us and we will manage the group, if we don’t play we will have a free week and we get to work on the training pitch.

“When I used the word pointless (prior to their Trophy match against Brighton) I didn’t mean to be disrespectful to the competition, and certainly not to the sponsors, my only gripe is that you go lower down the levels, work with smaller budgets and smaller squads and players don’t get as looked after as they do at the top levels, and you play more games, it doesn’t make sense to me, that is what I was talking about.

"We have used it for our purposes and if we get through then fine, we will try and win the next game.”

Lewis Walker put the Gills ahead against Colchester on Tuesday late in the first half but there was time for former Gills striker John Akinde to level moments later, before the interval.

Neither team found a breakthrough in the second half and it went to penalties, the Gills winning 5-4 thanks to Jordan Green’s winner, rolling the ball home after a run-up that was more of a hop and a skip, with a few shimmies thrown in.

“I was really pleased for Greeny, he worked hard and it was a nice moment for him,” said Harris.

“Everyone has a different way haven’t they? It was one where when the ball goes in, you say it’s a class penalty, calm and mature but if the keeper dives the right way it looks like the worst penalty of all time!”

Green was one of those to enjoy an extended run-out, along with Lewis Walker, Dom Jefferies and Elkan Baggott. Harris made four changes at the break to ensure his team stayed fresh ahead of their match against the league leaders Stevenage on Saturday.

The manager felt there were plenty more positives to take from the midweek match.

He said: “It’s another game unbeaten, we won on a penalty shootout so there is confidence for the boys who scored, Lewis scored another goal.

“I don’t think we used the ball particularly well at times, that was my only frustration, but we have scored four games in a row now, we have been a team who has lacked goals this year, so positives from it, definitely, from a competition that I wouldn’t put us in, so boxes ticked.

“There is prize money involved for every game you win, that’s much needed money, and if everyone has got through without an injury then it is a positive while it was important for those who hadn’t been involved in the last couple, like Jordan, Elkan and Lewis, they got minutes.”