Dara Costelloe scored a stoppage time winner as Accrington Stanley came from behind to beat Gillingham 2-1 at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium.
Mark Bonner made two changes to the side that lost at Crewe Alexandra. Ethan Coleman returned to the starting XI in place of Robbie McKenzie, who missed out through a knock that he picked up in the last fixture. Marcus Wyllie started in attack, leading the line with Elliott Nevitt. George Lapslie was named among the substitutes.
The hosts had a good chance in the opening seconds. Jack Nolan took a short corner to Armani Little, who curled the ball into the box from the right edge of the penalty area. Coleman met the cross, directing a header goalward, but it was straight at Billy Crellin in the Accrington goal.
Gillingham had a huge penalty shout in the eighth minute. Crellin’s attempted clearance went as far as Nevitt on the edge of the penalty area. The striker carried it forward before drilling a fierce effort goalward. The shot was well-blocked by an Accrington defender before deflecting off the arm of another visiting player a few yards away. Despite the appeals, the referee firmly said no to a penalty being awarded.
Jayden Clarke and Wyllie narrowly failed to put the ball in the back of the net after 23 minutes. Gills broke forward down the right wing with Nolan and Hutton, with the latter playing an inviting low ball towards the six-yard box. Clarke could not make a definitive touch before the ball came out to Wyllie, who could not make clear contact with his shot either, and it was blocked by an Accrington Stanley defender.
Costelloe was denied by Glenn Morris after some nice build-up play by the visitors. The ball was laid off to the forward, who directed his shot towards the far bottom corner. Morris got across, getting a fingertip on the ball to send it wide of the post for a corner, which came to nothing.
Accrington had two huge opportunities in a matter of seconds in the 35th minute. Ben Woods drilled a cross into the six-yard box, which was too difficult for an Accrington player to control and the chance went begging.
The second chance fell to Costelloe, who latched onto a blocked clearance that ricocheted into his path. The entire stadium believed he was offside, but the linesman’s flag stayed down. The Accrington Stanley forward just had the goalkeeper to beat, but the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month for September came off his line, closing the angle. Morris got down quickly to his left to push it around the post for a corner, which was defended well.
Wyllie had a glorious chance in the final minutes of the first half. Remeao Hutton played the ball into the feet of Wyllie, who laid it off to Nolan before turning and making the run forward. Nolan gave the ball back to the striker, who took it beyond the last defender before having just the goalkeeper to beat. On his left foot, Wyllie drilled a shot towards the near post, beating the keeper and the post, fizzing inches wide.
If not for a last-ditch clearance, Max Ehmer would have scored his first goal of the season. A corner curled towards the back post was headed back across the goal by Nevitt in the direction of Ehmer. It appeared that he just had to head the ball into the back of the net until a visiting defender made a crucial headed clearance.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 0-0 Accrington Stanley
Armani Little thumped Gillingham into the lead just four minutes after the restart. Hutton played a teasing cross into the box, evading the rising Nevitt before going beyond Clarke at the back post. Little met the loose ball, thundering a first-time effort goalward. His shot rifled into the roof of the net, leaving Crellin with no chance.
Accrington Stanley nearly found an immediate response through Jake Batty. He made a free run down the right before the ball was played over to the left wing-back. Batty carried the ball into the penalty area before shooting at Morris’ near post. It was at a comfortable height for the Gillingham goalkeeper to palm clear before the rebound was put out of play.
In the 57th minute Gillingham needed a huge Ehmer clearance to remain in front. A low cross from the right was directed for Costelloe, who would have had a simple tap in had Ehmer not stepped in to clear the ball away from the six-yard box.
On the hour, the hosts made their first change, with Joe Gbode replacing Clarke.
Moments later, Woods fired Accrington Stanley back level. Gills could not get the ball forward, with the visitors picking up an attempted clearance. The ball came to Woods on the edge of the penalty area, and he smashed it goalward. It took a deflection on its way to the goal, taking it out of Morris’ reach, nestling in the top corner.
In the 72nd minute, Gillingham made three more changes. Jonny Williams and Lapslie replaced Nolan and Wyllie. However, the third was an enforced one, with Morris picking up a knock to his leg that he could not shake off. Having received treatment, it was decided that he would have to be substituted for Luca Ashby-Hammond, making his league debut for the club.
With less than ten minutes remaining, a final change was made, with Oli Hawkins replacing Coleman.
Ashby-Hammond did brilliantly to deny Costelloe on 86 minutes. He raced through one-on-one with just the goalkeeper to beat. Ashby-Hammond stood his ground, forcing the Accrington forward to try and round him. As Costelloe attempted to do so, Ashby-Hammond timed his challenge perfectly, taking the ball off the foot of the forward before the loose ball was fired well wide of the goal.
Costelloe was to not be denied in stoppage time though. The visitors broke forward on the counter as Gillingham pushed forward in search of a late winner. The ball was played out to Costelloe on the left of the box, who took a touch before drilling a low-driven effort into the far bottom corner of the net.
Nevitt had a chance at the death with a cross deep to the back post, finding the striker. However, his header bounced off a couple of defenders before falling into the arms of Crellin.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 1-2 Accrington Stanley
Gillingham: Morris (Ashby-Hammond 72’), Hutton, Ehmer, Ogie, Clark, Nolan (J. Williams 72’), Coleman (Hawkins 81’), Little, Clarke (Gbode 60’), Wyllie (Lapslie 72’), Nevitt
Unused Substitutes: Hawkins, Dieng, Wakeling
Accrington Stanley: Crellin, Aljofree, Love, Rawson, Awe, Batty, Whalley, Conneely (Coyle 34’), B. Woods, Costelloe (Henderson 90+6’), Knowles (Walton 67’)
Unused Substitutes: Kelly, Popoola, Trickett, J. Woods
Referee: Paul Howard
Attendance: 6622 (71 away fans)
