Gillingham boss Neil Harris believed their inability to keep control of the ball was their undoing at AFC Fylde.

Harris felt his side gave away possession too many times in the second half and that allowed the non-league opponents to come back into the game, recovering from 1-0 down to score a late equaliser and take the first round tie to a replay at Priestfield.

Report: AFC Fylde 1 Gillingham 1

The Gills boss said: “We got the mentality right, that’s for sure, these games are all about mental strength and preparing correctly for the game, we prepared the boys extremely well.

“The lads competed, they had a go, no slacking off, they were at it, did I get the level of performance? In spells I did, but if you are going to keep turning the ball over like we do then you are going to have to defend for large parts of the game and ultimately we didn’t take care of the ball second half.

“When you get infront away from home in the FA Cup I’m disappointed not to be through but it is about winning in the FA Cup and we are in the draw (for round two on Monday) and have another chance in the replay.”

Mikael Mandron had scored Gills’ opener in first half stoppage-time but Fylde had the upper-hand in the second half. Harris still felt confident that his men would see it through.

“I didn’t feel in any massive danger,” he said. “I just thought the more subs we made the worse we got to be honest. The subs have to make sure they make an impact when they come on the pitch.

“We just turned the ball over cheaply second half which means you have to run more and it builds momentum for the opponent, we just have to be better with the football.”

Harris had switched to a back five to help keep it tight in the latter stages but Fylde found a way through.

Moments before that Gills substitute Scott Kashket was unable to capitalise on a great chance after being slipped in by Will Wright, with just the keeper to beat. The Fylde goalie came out on top.

Harris said: “Kash has that one and one and should score, we got into good areas but weren’t creative enough again, our problems are no different, this was no different, we don’t use the ball well enough and we don’t create enough.

“We were infront 1-0 and when I went to a back five to combat their shape we shouldn’t be conceding crosses as easily as we did and we should certainly deal with crosses better than we did.”

Keeper Glenn Morris made a couple of saves second half, denying Emeka Obi as he guided a header goalwards and getting down well to deny Nick Haughton, nothing more than routine saves for the no.1 said the manager.

"I didn’t think they were great saves, I thought they were routine saves, I expect my no.1 to make those saves.

"He didn’t make outstanding saves, routine saves, I thought Kash’s chance was the best and a header from a corner that should have hit the target, other than that we know their ability from 25 yards to score a lot of their goals, did we do enough to stop shots, I am not so sure about that. Are we mobile enough? I am not sure about that."

A date for the replay will need confirming but it will be week commencing November 14, which means their Kent Cup match with Tonbridge Angels will need rescheduling. The draw for round two of the FA Cup takes place on Monday night.