The Gills ended the run of five successive defeats with a much improved and battling performance away in the West Midlands drawing two-two with Walsall.
The Gills fans can be forgiven for thinking here we go again when Aaron Loupalo-Bi opened the scoring in the 20th minute when he rose highest to head home a cross at the near post.
Ronan Hale scored his fourth goal since signing for the club early in the first half to level the scores up, before Seb Palmer-Houlden put them in front on the hour. Only for substitute Daniel Kanu to poke home an equaliser a couple of minutes later.
Gareth Ainsworth made just one change from the late defeat at Crawley Town with Nelson Khumbeni replacing Josh Andrews in the starting eleven.
Ex Gills striker and now Walsall manager Darren Byfield shuffled his pack as he tried to target back towards the play-off places with his side.
The first half chance for the home side came in the third minute, a Gale foul saw a free kick swung into the area, it was headed across goal to Browne, but he couldn’t get his shot away. Up the other end a ball set Garath McCleary away and his cross was headed to Seb Palmer-Houlden, but he couldn’t get a shot away.
The Gills first corner came in the 11th minute, a ball forwarded from Hutton was chested down to Dack he set free McCleary who saw his cross, cut out for a corner. Max Clarke’s corner was met at the far post by Kumbeni who forced Miles Roberts into a save and out for another corner. This time Dack swung the corner in that was headed away to Clarke who from distance struck a shot that was never going to get through the sea of bodies in the box.
It was certainly an open affair in the first 15 minutes with both sides looking to create chances, and Ronan Hale as always chasing everything up front that was sent his way.
The opening goal of the game came in the 20th minute for the home side, when Courtney Clarke swung a ball in from the left wing and Loupalo-Bi rose highest at the near post beating Dack to head home.
In the 35th minute the Gills had plenty of possession and passing between the midfield and forward players, with Dack pulling strings but there was a real lack of crosses into the box and poor passes that resulted in Hale and others being unable to get a shot on target.
With five minutes to go before half time a Hutton throw found McCleary whose cross was cleared but Waldock couldn’t direct his header on goal.
The final chance of the half for the Gills fell to Khumbeni who volleyed wide just before the half time whistle was blown, which neatly summed up the Gills efforts in front of goal in recent weeks. Morris was grateful to gather the ball at the other end as Mellis put in goalscorer Loupalo-Bi in on goal.
It was a big half time team talk needed from Gareth Ainsworth as the Gills were on course for a sixth straight defeat.
The Gills rode their luck at the start of the second half as a cross in from Connolly wasn’t dealt with, but Loupalo-Bi was deemed to have fouled Morris.
A poor touch from McCleary in the 49th minute with the Gills on a counter saw Lakin motor up field and feed Jellis his shot from distance was palmed away by Morris.
The Gills drew level on 50 minutes when Hale won the ball on the halfway line, he fed Palmer-Houlden who then played Hale back in, and after a one-two with McCleary, and Hale slots the ball into the bottom corner.
Just after the hour the Gills went ahead. Palmer-Houlden with great work and then fed the ball out to McCleary and then Dack sent a cross in the keeper collides with his own defender and there was Palmer-Houlden to slot home to take the lead.
The lead lasted just a couple of minutes before a corner was swung into the area and wasn’t dealt with by the Gills defence, and the ball after a lot of pinballing around was poked home by Daniel Kanu with what was just his first touch.
Dack could have had a third for the Gills in the 77th minute when a cross was floated into the area, he was unmarked, but he drilled wide from close range, probably to his relief the flag went up for an offside.
The Gills were definitely riding their luck at the back and Morris saved well from substitute Albert Adomah with the game opening up in the midfield.
On the 90th minute a Hutton ball into the box was sent goalwards by Dack, the ball headed towards goal, but Roberts was on hand to keep out an effort from Smith who poked the ball goalwards.
Up the other end 38-year-old Adomah was causing Clarke issues, and he conceded a corner, and it was swung in but evaded everyone and was out for a goal kick with Farquharson lurking at the back post.
Into injury time Sam Gale was booked for a handball whilst challenged by Pressley, but it meant he gave away a free kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the area. There was a case conference as to who would take and, in the end, it was Adomah who stepped up and fired just wide of Morris near post, but the 42-year-old keeper had it covered, much to the relief of Gale.
The last chance of the match fell to Clarke who fired a volley wide from the edge of the area, but it ended the run of five straight defeats for the Gills. It gives them a bit of momentum going into the Easter Monday game against Accrington Stanley at the MEMS Priestfield.
Walsall: Roberts, Hancock, Burke, Farquharson, Loupalo-Bi (Adomah, 74), Comley ©, Clarke, Pressley, Jellis (Kanu, 65), Pattison (Lakin, 38), Browne
Subs not used: Hornby, Flint, Harper, Okeke,
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Clark, A Smith, Gale, Waldock (J Williams, 81), Khumbeni, McCleary, Dack ©, Palmer-Houlden (Andrew, 68), Hale
Subs not used: Turner, Akomeah, Vokes, Cirino, Dayal
Attendance: 5994
Referee: W Davis
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC