Match report from the Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham
Coca Cola League One
Fulltime Gillingham 1 Swindon Town 1
Gills could call on midfielder Mark Bentley and striker Dennis Oli, back from suspension and injury respectively, and Mark Stimson named both on the bench.
Swindon reinstated skipper Hasney Aljofree to the centre of defence having completed a suspension, with Jamie Vincent returning to left back. A leg injury deprived Malpas of Miguel Comminges, and a young bench included Ben Joyce, Chris Allen and Sean Morrison.
The match kicked-off at 12:30 with the home team in desperate need of the three points to stave of the ever increasing threat of relegation, and the home side couldn't wish for a better start to the match when Gills won a free kick in the first move.
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Nicky Southall stepped up and floated the ball into Town's box. Gary Richards rose to head at goal, and despite Brezovan's attempt to block his effort he turned the ball on the left hand post where it ended up nestling in the back of Swindon's net after just 54 seconds.
Anthony McNamee's cross almost found Lee Peacock after eight minutes, but now a goal to the good, the Gills had the upper hand in the opening stages.
On 12 minutes, Jon Paul McGovern and Craig Easton combined and played Peacock through to beat the offside trap on the right, but the Town striker drilled the ball wide of the far post.
John Nutter then rasped a shot over Brezovan's bar from 25 yards two minutes later, and at the other end Simon Cox attempted to chip the Gills' keeper Derek Stillie but his own effort also comfortably cleared the woodwork.
On 19 minutes, Simon King headed unmarked from a Southall corner as Town's restored defence looked more fragile than during Aljofree's absence.
Goal scorer Richards sliced the bar over his own bar for a corner as the half hour mark approached with tension appearing to tell on the home side, but McGovern's set piece didn't trouble the home defence.
McNamee conceded a corner as the injured Jerel Ifil was withdrawn to allow Sean Morrison to take the pitch, then a Simeon Jackson shot was blocked by Timlin before Mulligan's shot was smothered by Brezovan.
Gillingham continued to take the game to Swindon as half time approached, and with four minutes remaining, Jack Smith was judged to have fouled Mulligan. With both sets of supporters expecting a penalty, a free kick was awarded on the edge of the box.
Southall fired at Brezovan and the danger was averted, but the delivery of the Gills midfielder had consistently causing Town trouble with his delivery during the first period.
Halftime Gillingham 1 Swindon Town 0
Within a minute of the restart Southall's corner was wasted by Mulligan for Gillingham, but the second half began without the fireworks of the first.
Jack Smith's cross was just over-hit towards Peacock and Stillie claimed, then with the second half eight minutes old, the inexperienced Sean Morrison was caught out when a back heel found Jackson. He cut inside and left footed his shot past the right hand post with Brezovan a spectator.
A Timlin free kick after a Cullip foul saw Cox fail to make the most of the set piece, then Peacock volleyed from 30 yards and the ball sailed well way from the Gills' goal.
Swindon's midfield had been outbossed so far, with Town danger man Anthony McNamee closely shackled, and an hour in, Gillingham were on target to grab the three points they were so desperate to claim.
With 20 minutes to go both managers made substitutions, Billy Paynter replacing McNamee and Peacock dropping to an attacking midfield position, and a Paynter header was claimed by Stillie within a minute of the striker taking to the pitch.
Brezovan then palmed away a Southall freekick, with Gillingham still looking the more likely to claim the game's next goal. With little more then ten minutes left, Timlin's drilled ball was deflected for a corner after a Morrison long throw was nodded on by Peacock, but the effort represented a rare danger to the home team's goal.
But with around two minutes remaining, Timlin's ball forced a corner, and from McGovern's ball, Morrison headed ball back into the box and skipper Hasney Aljofree scuffed home to square the scoring, causing the home crowd to throw their heads into their hands in despair.
Referee Atwell indicated three minutes to be added, and a diving header from Southall went just wide as time ran out for the Kent side.
The early kick-off meant that Gills' fate wasn't sealed at the final whistle, but the late loss of two points severely dented Stimson's side's chances of avoiding the drop.
Fulltime Gillingham 1 Swindon Town 1
Gillingham: Derek Stillie, Nicky Southall, Danny Cullip (y56), Gary Richards, Simon King, John Nutter, Andrew Crofts (capt), Kevin Maher, Stuart Lewis, Simeon Jackson, Gary Mulligan (Dennis Oli 68). Subs: Chris Kiely, Mark Bentley, Dennis Oli, Leroy Griffiths, George Ba.
Swindon Town: Peter Brezovan, Jack Smith (Ben Joyce 86), Jerel Ifil (Sean Morrison 34), Hasney Aljofree (capt), Jamie Vincent, Jon-Paul McGovern, Craig Easton, Michael Timlin, Anthony McNamee (Billy Paynter 69), Simon Cox (y59), Lee Peacock (y37) Subs: Phil Smith, Billy Paynter, Ben Joyce, Chris Allen, Sean Morrison.
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