Gillingham still have a great chance of making round two of the FA Cup, says manager Steve Lovell, despite being held at home by non-league opposition.

The Gills’ first round tie against National League side Hartlepool ended goalless after a dour 90 minutes on Saturday, and the two teams will meet again next week for a place in the second round.

Lovell believes it’s still all to play for.

“We are still in it and we have every chance of going through,” he said.

“A lot of league teams have gone out (at the weekend) and are not in our position.

"That is the positive I can take out of it, we have to go up there and try and get the job done up there now.

“The FA Cup is a funny old competition and you don’t know what it throws up.

"They could have quite easily had a penalty in the last minute and we are out. But we are not, we are still in it and nothing has been lost.

“It’s a game of football that we haven’t won, that’s all it is.

"We are still in the FA Cup, we will go up there and try and play the same way as we do at most grounds. Hopefully the game will be open.

“We are in the hat, there is no reason why we can’t go up there and win the game.”

Hartlepool were happy with the goalless draw at the weekend, having lost their previous three in the league before travelling to Priestfield.

But the non-league side will have to do more in the replay, which should suit Gillingham, according to Lovell.

“They didn’t want to win the game (on Saturday)," he claimed.

"When we go up there they have got to win the game so it will be open. That is when we can exploit them, hopefully.

“The (league) games against Bradford and Fleetwood were open and that was where football is played by two teams who want to win. (Saturday) was us wanting to win and them not wanting to lose.

"Credit to them but now they have to do the opposite, they have to come out and try and beat us up there. It will be an open game and I think that will suit us better.”

The first round replay is set to be played on Wednesday, November 21, a day later than most of the ties, because Hartlepool's league match at home to Barnet this Sunday is being televised by BT Sport.