Gillingham were ahead for just seven minutes at Crewe as they were unable to build on a lead given to them by Mikael Mandron.

Mandron claimed the opener for the Gills, although another Crewe old-boy Scott Kashket also had a hand in the goal, before Dan Agyei levelled. Neither side could muster a winner in the second half.

Alex MacDonald made his first league start of the season, replacing Jordan Green in Gills’ starting eleven, while Shaun Williams shook off an ankle injury to make the team. Striker Lewis Walker had to make do with a place on the bench, despite his midweek double in the EFL Trophy.

Forward pair Scott Kashket and Mikael Mandron got the nod to start against their former team for the Gills, appearing at the Mornflake Stadium for the first time since relegation last term. Both were booed when they got on the ball.

Home striker Courtney Baker-Richardson was back in the Crewe side after missing the previous weekend with a muscle injury picked up playing his Xbox. With six league goals, he went into the game with twice as many to his name than the whole of the Gillingham team.

Neil Harris’ men were first on the scoresheet at Gresty Road, however, with the Gills’ former Crewe pair combining to beat keeper Arthur Okonkwo. Mandron headed Williams’ 12th minute corner goalwards and although Kashket’s backheel didn’t look to have made contact, it put the goalie off and the ball crept in.

Crewe winger Agyei had fluffed an early chance but his 19th minute strike was well taken, curling an effort from the edge of the box past Gillingham keeper Glenn Morris after Tariq Uwakwe’s pass had deflected into his path.

MacDonald put a chance the wrong side of the post for the Gills while Morris just managed to get a glove to Agyei’s attempted lob. The sides went off at the break with little between them.

Gillingham made a positive start to the second half and keeper Akonkwo had to beat away an early Williams corner from under his bar but the hosts had a penalty appeal turned down when Rio Adebisi went down in the box under pressure from Kashket.

Harris made changes with 20 minutes left, introducing Walker and Jordan Green to give his side an extra boost for the final stages. Cheye Alexander put a lot of balls into the box but there was nobody able to get on the end of them.

Baker-Richardson nodded wide for the hosts with a couple of minutes left and was also there at the other end to head clear Gills' stoppage-time free-kick as the game ended one apiece.

Gillingham: Morris, Alexander, Law, Wright, Ehmer, McKenzie, Williams, MacDonald (Green 72mins), Adelakun (Jefferies 88mins), Mandron (Walker 72mins), Kashket. Subs not used: Turner, Mnoga, Baggott, Chambers.

Crewe: Akonkwo, Mellor, Adebisi (Finney 53mins), McDonald, Offord, Thomas, Uwakwe, King (Leshabela 78mins), Agyei, Sambou (Tabiner 69mins), Baker-Richardson. Subs not used: Richards, Williams, Griffiths, Sass-Davies.

Attendance: 3,809 (211 away)

Referee: Robert Madden