Gillingham ended their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against Woking at the Laithwaite Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Jacob Wakeling got his first goal for the club just a couple of days after signing on loan from Peterborough, and although the Cardinals responded soon after the break neither side were able to find a breakthrough for a second time to take victory.
Mark Bonner was without Elliott Nevitt and Josh Andrews for the trip, however Jonny Williams returned in midfield.
George Lapslie was one of the substitutes, alongside Marcus Wyllie and Jayden Clarke.
Jake Turner sat out, so U18’s goalkeeper Carter Sullivan was drafted in.
It was a quiet start to the game but a wayward pass from the hosts nearly resulted in a goal for Gillingham when Jack Nolan burst forward on the right side, got to the edge of the penalty area and had a shot. Unfortunately for him the connection wasn’t what he wanted and the effort went wide as a result.
Dieng saw his low right footed effort miss the target shortly after as the visitors began to exert their authority on proceedings. On 11 minutes another opportunity was created when Aaron Rowe got clear on the left wing, a defender appeared to hold him up but the referee played advantage as Dieng pounced on the loose ball.
He cut it back for Wakeling, but his left footed shot was straight at Jaaskelainen.
Woking went close when a free-kick on the left was played in at pace towards the six-yard area. It needed the slightest of touches to find the back of the net, but a Woking player couldn’t get the connection right to open the scoring.
At the other end Rowe drilled a right footed shot wide from 18 yards following a throw-in on the far side of the pitch. Woking nearly took the lead on the stroke of half-time, but an effort from range was just wide of the left post.
However, there was still time in the half for Gills to seize the initiative and get themselves in front. Clark produced a fantastic ball from the deep on the left wing, Wakeling had found space around 12 yards from goal and his excellent header found the bottom corner.
H/T: Woking 0-1 Gillingham
The Cardinals equalized within five minutes of the restart when a cross from the left channel was met by Kendall, and his header beat Morris in much the same way that Wakeling had scored before the break.
Jaaskelainen had to be alert to deny Gills a second goal on 54 minutes when a corner kick was delivered by Nolan on the far side to McKenzie who had space at the back post. His header had plenty of power on it, and needed the Woking keeper to tip it over.
The game entered a quiet period with both sides making multiple changes in the process, and it wasn’t until the final ten minutes until more goal mouth action was provided. Hutton’s cross to Clarke at the back post was an inviting one, the winger was on the stretch and as a result his header was guided just wide of the target.
F/T: Woking 1-1 Gillingham
Woking: Jaaskelainen, Moss (Trialist 58), Odusina, Harries, Dyche, Lewis (Jones 83), Anderson (Beautyman HT), Akinola, Andrews, Kendall (Trialist 58), Trialist.
Unused subs: Smith, Trialists
Gills: Morris, Hutton, Ehmer, Masterson (Ogie 64), Clark, Dieng (Hawkins 77), McKenzie, Nolan (Trialist 77), Williams (Lapslie 64), Rowe (Clarke 64), Wakeling (Wyllie 64)
Unused subs: Sullivan, Gbode
Attendance: 765 (240)
