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Brackley Town 1 Gillingham 0

Gillingham were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league Brackley Town on Monday night.

Glenn Walker’s goal midway through the first half proved enough for the Skrill North side in the first round replay.

Charlie Lee in action for the Gills at Brackley Picture: Barry Goodwin
Charlie Lee in action for the Gills at Brackley Picture: Barry Goodwin

Gillingham were controversially denied an equaliser just before the break when Bradley Dack was flagged offside.

The Gills put the pressure on in the second half, hitting the post twice, but were unable to find the goals they needed.

Gillingham were hoping to make amends from a poor performance in the first meeting between the sides, which ended 1-1, thanks to Bradley Dack’s injury-time equaliser.

The Gills went into the game buoyed by Saturday’s 2-1 win at Sheffield United but Peter Taylor made six changes to his team for the FA Cup match, many of those enforced.

Among those coming in was 18-year-old defender Stephen Butcher, who filled in at right-back, due to the unavailability of both Michael Harriman and Elliot Hewitt.

Injuries kept Steven Gregory and Danny Kedwell out, while Craig Fagan and Danny Hollands were both ineligible. Both Cody McDonald and Chris Whelpdale were rested and started the game from the bench.

Brackley started rookie keeper Alastair Worby for only the third time, following a suspension to regular keeper Billy Turley and their failure to register another player ahead of the original tie.

Gillingham had a couple of early chances and bossed the match but were unable to find a way past Worby.

In the 22nd minute, Brackley took a shock lead. From the edge of the box Walker picked his spot and wrong-footed Gills keeper Stuart Nelson.

Myles Weston and Antonio German both put efforts wide for Gills and they had the ball in the net three minutes before the break, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag. Butcher’s cross was headed goalwards by Akinfenwa but Dack was signalled to be in an offside position.

Gillingham made a bright start to the second half and Joe Martin smashed a long-range effort against the post and Leon Legge headed a chance narrowly wide. German and Martin also both came close as the Gills kept the pressure on.

Akifenwa also sent a dipping shot narrowly over just as Brackley had a couple of moments themselves, with Walker and Steve Diggin coming close.

While Gillingham kept missing the target, they were almost handed an equaliser, when a Brackley player almost bundles a Weston cross over his own line. Worby got over it just in time.

Brackley remained a threat on the break and Nelson had to turn Walker’s low drive around the post with 20 minutes left. At the other end keeper Worby saved from Gills substitute Whelpdale.

Gillingham came close to a last minute leveller when Akinfenwa hit the post and seconds later Whelpdale put a chance over from just a yard out, from another Akinfenwa header.

Gillingham: Nelson, Butcher (McDonald 67mins), Martin, Legge, Barrett, Mousinho, Dack, Lee, Akinfenwa, German (Whelpdale 60mins), Weston. Subs not used: Howard, Carter, Davies, McKain, Hessenthaler.

Brackley Town: Worby, Odhiambo, McDonald, Towers, Sharpe, Austin, Sandy, Solkhon, Mulligan, Digging, Walker. Subs not used: Story, Nisevic, Griffin, Jarvis, Collins, Mills, Cartwright.

Attendance: 1,772

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