Gills leave it late to book their place in the third round draw of the Emirates FA Cup.
Scott Kashket’s stoppage time goal meant that Gillingham and Dagenham & Redbridge will contest an Emirates FA Cup second round replay after a 1-1 draw at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Jordan Green, on as a second half sub, got the better of a defender before drilling a low-driven cross towards the six-yard box, where Kashket was on hand to finish from close range. That came after Josh Walker had given Dagenham the lead ten minutes earlier.
Gills boss Neil Harris made one change to the starting XI that drew 0-0 at Crawley in midweek, as Ben Reeves started in the place of Hakeeb Adelakun, who was on the bench.
Omar Mussa had the first chance of the game as his speculative effort came close. A corner into the box was cleared as far as Mussa, who struck the ball first-time. His effort curled and dipped on its way to goal but went over the bar, leaving Jake Turner untroubled.
Turner was called into action after 15 minutes to deny Junior Morias. The Dagenham forward was allowed to make his way towards the box before unleashing a powerful effort from around 20 yards. It looked as if it would fly into the top corner, but the Gills goalkeeper was on hand to push it wide of the post.
Josh Walker had a good opportunity after he dispossessed Stuart O’Keefe. He struck the ball from distance, but it was straight at Turner, who was forced into a routine stop.
Matt Robinson came close to giving Dagenham & Redbridge the lead in first-half stoppage time. A corner into the box fell to the hosts' captain, and he tried to squeeze his shot beyond Turner at his near post. Fortunately, his shot found the side netting.
HALF-TIME: Dagenham & Redbridge 0-0 Gillingham
On the hour, Gills made a trio of changes as Lewis Walker, Jordan Green and Scott Kashket replaced Stuart O’Keefe, Joe Gbode and Mikael Mandron respectively.
Robbie McKenzie came close in the 72nd minute. Kashket chased onto a long ball forward before playing it back to Walker, who laid it off to McKenzie. The left-back cut inside on his right foot before shooting. It had plenty of power on it but Elliot Justham was on hand to push it behind for a corner.
The resulting set piece was headed behind for another corner as Gills came close to taking the lead. The ball bounced around in the six-yard box as Walker tried to prod it goalward and the ball hit a Dagenham player before the hosts cleared their lines.
Walker gave Dagenham & Redbridge the lead in the 80th minute. He got in between two Gillingham defenders before advancing through on goal, where he slotted the ball beyond Turner who had come out to narrow the gap.
In stoppage time however, Kashket got the Gills back onto level terms. Green was allowed to run down the line before he got beyond his defender and played a low-driven ball towards the six-yard box. Kashket managed to get free before scoring from close range, leaving Justham with no chance of keeping it out.
FULL-TIME: Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Gillingham
Dagenham & Redbridge: Justham, Hare, Onariase, Sagaf, Phipps, Weston, Rance, Robinson, Mussa (Saunders 78’), Morias, Walker
Unused Substitutes: Dixson, Johnson, Zouma, Janneh, Scott, Franz, Bird
Gillingham: Turner, Alexander (Adelakun 85’), Wright, Ehmer, McKenzie, Williams, O’Keefe (Green 60’), Jefferies, Reeves (MacDonald 77’), Gbode (Walker 59’), Mandron (Kashket 60’)
Unused Substitutes: Holtam, Baggott, Mnoga, Law
Referee: Darren Drysdale
Attendance: 1702 (367 Gillingham supporters)