GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
Gillingham are overdue some FA Cup joy.
They have fallen at the first hurdle in the last four seasons, twice to non-league Brackley Town.
The Gills face another non-league side this weekend, as National League side Leyton Orient head to Priestfield for the first round tie.
Orient will be hoping for a bit of a boost at the weekend. They dropped out of the Football League last season, almost went out of business in the summer and have struggled to make headway in the National League.
It's been a dramatic slump for the London side who reached the League 1 play-off final in the 2013/14 season, losing on penalties to Rotherham.
Gills make two changes from the team that won at Rotherham last time out in League 1. Out go Billy Bingham and Bradley Garmston due to injury with Mark Byrne and Connor Ogilvie coming in.
On the bench, Steve Arnold replaced Stuart Nelson as the back-up keeper while Noel Mbo and Ben Chapman both feature.
Gillingham: Holy, Clare, Ogilvie, Ehmer, Zakuani, Byrne, Hessenthaler, Martin, Parker, Eaves, List. Gills subs: Arnold, O’Neill, Wagstaff, Wilkinson, Mbo, Chapman, Cundle.
Leyton Orient: Grainger, Caprice, Widdowson, Bonne, Mooney, Boco, Judd, Clark, Dayton, Westbrooke. Leyton Orient subs: Sargeant, Lawless, Pollock, Dalby, Clay, Harrold, Sotiriou.
Gills wins 25, draws 18, Orient wins 27
Gillingham: Rotherham W 3-1 (a) Northampton L 1-2 (h), Wigan D 1-1 (h), Peterborough W 1-0 (a), Portsmouth L 0-1 (h), Colchester W 1-0 (a).
Orient: Wrexham D 2-2 (a), Gateshead L 0-2 (h), Macclesfield L 0-1 (h), Dagenham W 1-0 (h), Dagenham D 0-0 (a), Barrow D 2-2 (a).
Click here for appearances, goals, discipline, ratings and profiles
Gillingham were the underdogs the last time the teams met in the FA Cup.
The Gills were in League 2 when they met Orient on December 3, 2011 in the second round.
Andy Hessenthaler's men had already beaten one League 1 side in the opening round, after seeing off Bournemouth, before edging out Orient at Brisbane Road and earning themselves a third round tie against Tony Pulis' Stoke City.
A first-half strike from Curtis Weston was enough to claim the win. Weston hooked the winner home off a Charlie Lee thrown-in.
Lee is now an Orient player but will be watching from the stands on Saturday. Read his thoughts ahead of Saturday's game.
Games refereed this season: 16 (yellows 53, reds 3)
Leicestershire official Brooks was in charge of Gills' recent Checkatrade Trophy match at Colchester.
He was also in charge a year ago as the Gills conceded a last minute goal, going down 2-1 at Bristol Rovers. Brooks was brandishing cards regularly that day, dishing out six yellow cards to Gillingham players.
He is now in his second season refeereing in the Football League.
Assistants: Graham Kane and Leigh Crowhurst. Fourth official: Jack Packman
Macauley Bonne netted the goal that ensured Leyton Orient of a place in round one of the FA Cup.
He scored the only goal of the game as Orient beat Dagenham 1-0 in their fourth qualifying round replay.
His goal helped end an eight game run without a victory.
The pacey forward is Orient's leading scorer, with eight in the National League, including a hat-trick against Guiseley.
Bonne, who has just received a call-up to the senior Zimbabwe squad, joined Orient in the summer from Colchester, from where he had completed his football scholarship.
It was Joe Dunne who gave him his break in the Football League but he was largely used as a substitute for the U's. While at Colchester scored four goals in an FA Cup game against Wealdstone.
Former Gills player Charlie Lee, the Orient captain, is backing his current team to pull off a shock.
Lee is currently injured but will be there at Priestfield to watch his team-mates and catch up with some old friends.
The club are in need of a lift after a tough start in the National League and a win over the Gills would be just the tonic.
He said: "The club is in its lowest league position but it is in a much better place (after almost going out of business in the summer) with a good future ahead. Hopefully it starts with an FA cup win on Saturday.
"You are always looking for a result to kick start your season and if we can go to Gillingham and get one, against a team two leagues above, that would be a massive boost for us."
Read more from Charlie here and the full interview in this Thursday's Medway Messenger newspaper.
Josh Parker scored twice as Gillingham pulled off a shock result last weekend.
Parker gave Gillingham a dream start by heading home after just three minutes.
Tom Eaves got Gills’ second, early in the second half, but the home side pulled one back through Moore.
A late red card for home defender Joe Mattock was followed by Parker’s second moments later, with just three minutes left.
Click here for more pictures from Gills' win
Bradley Garmston will be missing this weekend after tweaking his hamstring.
He's only recently returned to the side following a groin injury, making just three appearances so far.
Central defenders Alex Lacey and Ben Nugent are still a couple of weeks away from being fit.
Caretaker boss Steve Lovell does have extra options in reserve as young striker Noel Mbo is back at the club following a loan at Cray Wanderers.
Talking point;
Steve Lovell remains in the job and the fans want him to stay.
He was backed by 96% of those asked earlier this week if he should be given the job.
Lovell already appears to have the backing of the players, backing up their words to the press with some great recent performances.
Chairman Paul Scally has been fighting a court case this week, against former caterers Centerplate, and will have been pleased the team have been in capable hands while he looks to win a big payout.
Happy days for Gills under caretaker boss
Early cup exit for Gills youngsters
Striker returns to Gills after loan spell
The Gills are 5/6 to beat Leyton Orient (over 90mins) in Saturday's first round match with Paddy Power, it's 13/5 the draw and 16/5 for the visitors to pull off a shock win.
Gillingham are in good form and due some luck in the FA Cup. It's 100/1 for a 5-0 home win.
Lee Martin and josh Parker have both been in goal scoring form of late, you can get 8/1 and 17/2 respectively on the pair.
Follow kentonlinegills on twitter for match updates.
