Gillingham manager Neil Harris felt his side had already exceeded expectations before beating Brentford on penalties.

Harris calmly watched the latter stages of their Carabao Cup third round match at the Premier League side as his team put up a terrific rearguard performance, and then enjoyed the penalty shootout, happy with his team’s performance whatever the outcome.

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The Gills had conceded a third minute goal, scored by England World Cup hopeful Ivan Toney. Brentford were expected to win comfortably but they failed to get a crucial second and when Mikael Mandron headed in a 75th minute equaliser it was game-on.

Gillingham defended for their lives in the latter stages, with Toney missing a great chance with only the keeper to beat, as the match ended 1-1. Harris' side then completed a third shootout success of the season, scoring every one of their spot-kicks to win 6-5 on penalties.

“We haven’t missed one yet!” said Harris, having beaten Exeter City 6-5 on penalties in the Carabao Cup second round and bettering Colchester 5-4 in the EFL Trophy.

“We do work on other stuff, not just penalties, although it might now always look like it!

“I said to the players before the shootout, we have achieved already, getting to 90 minutes with a draw, coming from behind against a talented manager and a really good side, we felt we had achieved already.

“I just said to the lads, ‘let’s just enjoy it, absolutely no pressure’, I sat there and enjoyed the penalty shootout, for one of the first times ever, and credit to my players. Credit to them for the whole game, the character and fight, the doggedness, resolve and diligence in the preparation then their composure when needed as well.

“We knew it would be a challenge, we are not in great form, playing away from home against a free-scoring side, we knew we would have to find ways.”

A difficult challenge - not helped by traffic chaos and a delayed kick off - got even harder when the Gills gifted the hosts a third-minute opener when a ball over the top of the defence fell to Mikkel Damsgaard and he laid it on a plate for Toney to slot the ball home.

“I think 2,500 Gills fans as well as my whole bench, me included, feared for us then,” Harris admitted. “When you give good teams that don't need it a foothold and a leg-up then it’s backs to the wall. The second goal was crucial, if they scored again it was game over. We weren’t going to score two goals.

“We had a game plan which went out the window and we went to a back six at times, and I was comfortable doing it, we went man for man.”

The Gills still rode their luck, camped in their half for much of the second 45, but Brentford failed to make their dominance count.

“Ivan Toney doesn’t miss many from eight or nine yards but we knew we had a bit of good fortune there as well,” said the Gills boss, recalling the striker's effort than went narrowly wide with just the keeper to beat.

“We had one real moment of quality (with the goal). My disappointment is that we didn’t handle the ball well enough on transition, when we had the players to hurt them on the counter-attack, and the goal conceded was disappointing, but other than that the players were excellent.”

Mandron scored the equaliser, heading home from Alex MacDonald’s inviting cross. The goal provider had been on the pitch less than a minute as Harris looked to tweak the tactics, pushing his team higher up the pitch.

“It was a great ball and great movement from Mika and that comes from confidence, scoring (against AFC Fylde in the FA Cup) on Saturday. (Brentford) were a completely different level of opponent, no disrespect to Fylde, but his movement across the centre half and the header, there was pace on the ball so he only has to guide it.”

The shootout saw Mandron, Hakeeb Adelakun, Will Wright, Cheye Alexander and Scott Kashket score. Brentford also netted their first five and it went to sudden death.

MacDonald’s effort went in off the bar but Brentford’s Mikkel Damsgaard hit his shot fractionally higher and it bounced out off the frame of the goal, leading to joyous scenes in the away corner of the Gtech Community Stadium, where the Gills had around 2,000 fans.

“They went home happy so I am pleased for them,” Harris added.