A brace from Harry Bridle ensured that Gills left Lordswood with a share of the spoils following a 2-2 draw.
The visitors came from behind to lead, but Elliott Duncan bagged two goals of his own for the hosts in an entertaining game at Martyn Grove.
Mark Moss had to make do without Harry Waldock, Logan Dobbs, Harry Webster, Kacper Kot and Stanley Skipper for the game, resulting in Raif Jones playing at centre-back with Michael Luxton and Cruz Beszant playing in behind the strike duo of Bridle and Sargent.
Both sides created half chances in the opening ten minutes with Sargent dragging a shot wide from just outside the box with Harry Fleming's free-kick for Lordswood going narrowly wide of the left hand post.
On 21 minutes the consistent pressure applied by the hosts resulted in the opening goal of the game when a ball over the top gave something for Duncan to chase, he forced an error at the back before producing a clinical finish into the opposite corner.
Jake Embery and Brad Jeffrey both saw shots miss the target in the exhanges following the goal, but the Gills dug deep and stayed in the game before netting an equalizer on 37 minutes. A cross from Sargent resulted in an unforced defensive error, the ball ran loose and Bridle showed real composure under pressure, moving the ball to his right before finding the back of the net from close range.
H/T: Lordswood 1-1 Gills XI
Sargent nearly grabbed a second shortly after the break; he created space for himself on the left hand side of the box and shot across the keeper only to see his effort miss the target.
Bridle produced a great cross for Jimmy Heasman at the back post but, on the stretch, the wing-back was unable to divert the ball home. However, seconds later, Bridle had time and space inside the box to have a shot. This was well saved but the rebound was tucked home by the striker.
Five minutes later and Duncan found the back of the net for a second time when his ball from the left, which appeared to be a cross, deceived Fletcher Hegarty and went over the head of the keeper before finding the inside of the post.
On 63 minutes Gills should have gone back in front when a shot from Joe Orpwood was deflected into the path of Jimmy Heasman. Expecting the offside flag he hesitated momentarily and, although made contact with the ball, it wasn't sufficient to trouble the goalkeeper who gathered.
A series of late deflected shorts and corner kicks nearly gave Lordswood the lead late on, but the visitors dug deep and earned themselves a hard earned draw.
F/T: Lordswood 2-2 Gills XI
Lordswood starting XI: Fanshawe, Keyte, Schafer, Embery, Fleming, Landau, Jeffrey, Green, Duncan, Myles, Strouts
Gills XI: Hegarty, Orpwood (Dayal 77), Broadbent, Jones, Heasman (Cross 73), Walker, Luxton, Beszant, White, Bridle, Sargent (Carruthers 83)
Unused subs: Wheeler, Adams
