Pre-season friendly report: Margate 3 Gillingham 3
Published: 17:00, 14 July 2018
Updated: 07:17, 15 July 2018
Liam Nash scored twice as Gillingham shared six goals at Margate.
The home side came back from three goals down to draw the game at Hartsdown Park after Gillingham made wholesale changes.
Earlier, Nash had struck with a couple of clinical finishes, either side of a great effort from Conor Wilkinson.
Coaches Ian Cox and Jason Lillis took charge of the Gills for their trip to Margate as once again the squad was split in two. Another team took on Tonbridge Angels, winning 5-1.
Former Gills keeper Henry Newcombe denied Nash early on, after being put through on goal, and he also saved well from Wilkinson.
Gills defender Finn O’Mara had to make a great goal-saving tackle after half an hour and five minutes later the visitors took the lead.
Newcombe had moments earlier denied Nash but the Gills striker finally beat the keeper on 35 minutes, finding the top corner after being picked out by Josh Rees.
The lead was doubled just before the break, Wilkinson this time hitting the top corner, striking from 20 yards.
Nash made it 3-0 in the second half, scoring with 56 minutes gone, smashing the ball home through a crowd of bodies.
But the Gills were to be denied a win, conceding the first from the penalty spot. There was a completely new Gills eleven on the field as Margate pulled one back, Ryan Huckle adjudged to have fouled in the box.
Two goals in the final four minutes brought Margate level.
Gillingham: Hadler, Fuller, O’Mara, Zakuani, Garmston, Byrne, Parrett, Rees, List, Nash, Wilkinson. Team after 60 mins: Catherall, Trialist, Morrell, Huckle, Stevenson, Noyelle, Arthurs, Bramble, Chapman, Campbell, Hlabi.
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Luke Cawdell