Gills will play Leicester City at home in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup following an entertaining 3-2 win over Dagenham & Redbridge at ME7.
Hakeeb Adelakun scored a last-gasp winner as Gillingham beat Dagenham & Redbridge 3-2 at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Thursday evening to book an Emirates FA Cup third round tie at home to Leicester City.
Dagenham had a corner, which the Gills countered from. Adelakun took the ball from the penalty area before playing it out wide to Kashket, who took the ball forward before passing it back to Adelakun. The Lincoln loanee was through on goal and took a touch before blasting it beyond Elliot Justham.
Matt Robinson had given The Daggers a 15th-minute lead as his low-driven shot from 20 yards found the bottom corner. Elkan Baggott equalised 11 minutes later as he outjumped Justham to head in from Ben Reeves’ corner.
It took until the 77th minute for another goal in the game. Alex MacDonald’s corner was thumped into the back of the net by Max Ehmer. However, the lead lasted seven minutes as George Saunders equalised for the visitors.
In the dying seconds, Adelakun began and finished the counter-attack as he thumped the Gills into the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Neil Harris made four changes to the side that lost to Salford at the weekend. Elkan Baggott, Hakeeb Adelakun and Lewis Walker all returned to the starting XI. Dave Tutonda made his first start since having knee surgery, while Olly Lee and Callum Harriott were named among the substitutes.
Josh Walker had a golden opportunity to give The Daggers an early lead. A pass back to Jake Turner was under hit, and the Gills keeper got a hand on the cutback. Josh Walker prodded the ball goalward but could not make clear contact as it went just wide of the post.
Lewis Walker had a chance moments later for the hosts. He received the ball 25 yards from the goal and struck the ball with his left foot towards the bottom corner. Elliot Justham got down to push it wide of the goal for a corner.
From the resulting set play, Baggott had an attempt cleared off the line. The ball into the box found its way to the defender, who guided it goalward. The ball was cleared off the line before a little scramble that was eventually claimed by Justham.
In the 15th minute, Matt Robinson scored for the visitors. A cross towards the penalty area bounced out to Robinson, who was 20 yards from the goal. He struck a low-drilled effort towards the bottom corner, which Turner could not keep out as it nestled into the back of the net.
In the 26th minute, Baggott got the Gills back level. Ben Reeves curled his corner towards the six-yard box, where the Indonesian international outjumped Justham and headed the ball into the back of the net from just a couple of yards out.
Former Gills defender Josh Hare forced Turner into a save during first-half stoppage time. The opportunity to shoot opened up for Hare as he directed a low-driven effort towards the goal from around 20 yards. Turner’s view was obstructed as he had to claim the ball at the second attempt.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 1-1 Dagenham & Redbridge
Walker had a chance during the opening seconds of the second half. A long ball forward was headed in the direction of the forward, who made his way towards the penalty area before shooting. However, it was a comfortable save for Justham, who got down to it at his near post.
Former Gills winger Myles Weston tried a snapshot on the corner of the penalty area as he tried to shoot across the goal. The effort had plenty of pace but went wide of the post, leaving Turner untroubled.
In the 71st minute, Gills thought they had taken the lead. A through ball was played towards both Scott Kashket and Walker. The striker was the one that got on the end of it, and he slotted the ball beyond the oncoming Justham. However, the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.
Kashket had a great chance moments later. Adelakun did well to get behind the Dagenham wing back before playing it in the direction of Kashket, who could not make clear contact with the ball as it went wide of the post.
In the 77th minute, Max Ehmer put Gillingham in front. Alex MacDonald, who replaced Ben Reeves, played a fantastic corner into the box. Ehmer did well to get across his marker before thumping his header into the back of the net.
Seconds after the goal, Harry Phipps was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Walker as he caught him on his knee.
In the 84th minute, George Saunders equalised for Dagenham. A header back to Turner did not have enough power on it and Saunders pounced before rounding the Gills keeper and slotting into an empty net.
In the dying seconds, Adelakun sent the Gills through to round three. From a Dagenham corner, the ball came out to Adelakun, who brought the ball forward before playing it out to Kashket. The Gills forward then played it back into the path of Adelakun, who got into the box and thumped it beyond Justham.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 3-2 Dagenham & Redbridge
Gillingham: Turner, Wright, Ehmer, Baggott, Tutonda, Jefferies, Williams, Adelakun, Reeves (MacDonald 64’), Green (Kashket 64’), Walker
Unused Substitutes: Holtam, Alexander, Mnoga, Law, Lee, Harriott, Mandron
Dagenham & Redbridge: Justam, Hare, Onariase, Phipps, Weston, Johnson (Saunders 55’), Dean Rance, Robinson, Sagaf (Bird 77’), Morias, Walker
Unused Substitutes: Mussa, McCallum, Zouma, Scott, Longe-King, Dixson, Franz
Referee: Mr T Kirk
Attendance: 1533 (287)