Gillingham will play Leicester City in Round Three of the FA Cup thanks to Hakeeb Adelakun’s stoppage-time winner.

Headed goals from Elkan Baggott and Max Ehmer cancelled out Matthew Robinson’s opener for Dagenham but the visitors - who had a man sent off - pulled it level with six minutes left. But the Gills won it in the 95th minute thanks to Adelakun’s finish.

In cup competitions, the Gills were unbeaten in six prior to the midweek clash at Priestfield, with Brentford beaten in the League Cup and AFC Fylde seen off in the FA Cup First Round.

Knock-out football had given the Gills some much-needed relief from their difficult League 2 campaign. Scott Kashket’s late goal at Dagenham had taken this tie to a replay.

A home game against Premier League Leicester in the New Year awaited the winner in Round Three. Thursday night’s Second-Round Replay was live on TV and with freezing temperatures, a 3-0 weekend defeat behind them and £20 tickets, there were surprisingly plenty of empty seats at Priestfield.

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There wasn’t much between the sides in an opening half that ended one apiece.

Baggott had a great early chance that was blocked on the line by Harry Phipps but his time would come.

It was Dagenham who struck first, Robinson’s shot from the edge of the box on 15 minutes beating the Gills keeper into the bottom corner.

Despite the setback, Gills responded well. Ben Reeves had a shot deflected wide shortly before providing the cross which got his side level.

Reeves had already had a couple of corners, one which failed to beat the first man and another claimed by the keeper, but the towering Baggott was on hand to convert another after 27 minutes as he got in front of the keeper, nodding in before Elliott Justham could get his hands on the ball.

David Tutonda was back in the Gills side after a three-month injury absence, playing left wing-back. On the opposite flank was Adelakun and the man on the right put in an inviting low cross for Tutonda but the returning defender hit his effort well over the bar.

Dagenham were looking the more likely to score before the half-time whistle went, a long-range shot from former Gills man Josh Hare popping out of keeper Jake Turner’s hands before being claimed at the second attempt.

There was little goal-threat from either team at the start of the second half and Gills boss Neil Harris turned to his bench with just over an hour gone, Alex MacDonald and Kashket were introduced for Jordan Green and Reeves.

Kashket was in on goal almost immediately but was offside when he latched onto Tutonda’s ball through and the keeper saved anyway.

Lewis Walker was incorrectly flagged for offside when latching onto a MacDonald pass forward and the lively Kashket put another chance wide from an angle.

It was from another corner the Gills took a 77th-minute lead. Walker’s shot had been deflected wide and when MacDonald swung in the set-piece Ehmer got in enough space to guide a header home.

Dagenham’s chances worsened a minute later when a bad challenge from Phipps on Walker led to a straight red card for the visiting man.

With 10 men, Dagenham fought back as goalscorer Ehmer gifted them a chance, his weak header back to the keeper falling for substitute George Saunders and he struck past Turner.

But in the fifth and final minute of stoppage-time the Gills won it on the break, Kashket and Adelakun combining to score the winner in front of the Rainham End.

Gillingham: Turner, Wright, Tutonda, Ehmer, Baggott, Williams, Jefferies, Reeves (Kashket 64mins), Adelakun, Green (MacDonald 64mins), Walker. Subs not used: Holtam, Alexander, Mandron, Lee, Mnoga, Harriott, Law.

Dagenham: Justham, Hare, Johnson (Saunders 55mins), Rance, Onariase, Walker, Sagaf (Bird 77mins), Weston, Robinson, Phipps, Morias. Subs not used: Dixson, Mussa, McCallum, Zouma, Scott, Longe-King, Franz.

Referee: Thomas Kirk.

Attendance: 1,533 (287 away).