GILLS O’S SO CLOSE TO REPLAY
GILLINGHAM were spared FA Cup embarrassment from Non-League opposition after scraping a win over a spirited Leyton Orient.
Josh Parker’s simple header gave the Gills the lead in a first half they controlled, before Tom Eaves put the hosts 2-0 up.
James Dayton struck for Orient to create a frantic end to the game, but the away side could not find an equaliser to force a replay.
And Gills boss Steve Lovell was relieved to see his side hold on and progress to the second round.
He said: “I think we started the game very well and everything went to plan in the first half. Credit is due to Orient who came back well in the second half though.
“It’s good to be in the hat for the second round. We will always look to win every game but ultimately the FA Cup is very unpredictable.
“I was more nervous before the game because of the nature of the tie than in previous games where I have been manager. They were the underdogs so had nothing to lose.”
Gillingham started the game strongly and broke the deadlock when Elliott List’s inswinging cross found an unmarked Parker who nodded the ball in on 19 minutes.
Parker could have had a second on 32 minutes but could only head Lee Martin’s deep free-kick over the bar.
The visitors livened up after the break, forcing Tomas Holy into making two great saves, first from David Mooney’s looping volley and then from Jamie Sendles-White’s powerful header.
But Orient found themselves two down when Connor Ogilvie’s long ball found Eaves, who dispatched his chance after out-muscling Sendles-White.
Orient hit back when Dayton’s low free-kick from the left went through a crowd and into the corner of the net.
Visiting Joe Widdowson was sent off late on for pulling back Conor Wilkinson as Orient failed to find their equaliser.
Orient manager Steve Davis was left outraged with referee John Brooks’ performance, claiming it cost his side the game.
Davis said: “We haven’t had a good referee all season and the one in this game is up there with the worst we’ve had. “The second goal was diabolical. How the referee hasn’t given us a free-kick after what looked more like a taekwondo move on Jamie Sendles-White is beyond me and it has been costly for us. “Gillingham were a bit better than us in the first half and we didn’t ask enough questions of them. “I thought we were brilliant in the second half. We were much the better side and took the game to them after changing shape at half-time. Their keeper made some great saves and kept them in the game.”