Gillingham's youngsters secured safe passage through to Round Three of the Youth Alliance Cup but not before being given an almighty scare by their Wiltshire hosts.

Having put three past their opponents without reply in the same competition last season, the visitors approached this tie with cautious optimism.

Things looked promising from the outset as Tom Murphy's fifth minute deflected shot from a Connor Essam pass looped over the keeper and into the far corner to put the Gills in front.

Mark Patterson's youngsters seemed in total control of proceedings and increased their lead in the 25^th minute as Callum Day forced home a corner despite team mate Dean Rance's best efforts to block his path to goal.

With the half time whistle approaching Swindon punished the visitors defence for failing to clear a free-kick, presenting a Robins forward with a simple tap-in to give the home side renewed hope.

If the first half had belonged to the Gills, the second was quite the reverse with Swindon once again capitalising on a defensive error to square the tie from the penalty spot which hit the crossbar before ricocheting in off the head of hapless keeper Conor Quinn.

Things got worse soon after as Swindon's England schoolboy international winger rounded Jack Evans, his cross was headed goalwards and Callum Davies could only help it over the line as Gillingham turned a 2-0 lead into a 3-2 deficit in little over twenty minutes.

With his side looking shell-shocked Manager Patterson switch his formation to 4-3-3, a tactical change that would pay dividends late in the half.

On 85 minutes Tom Murphy broke down the line and fired a great ball over for substitute Ryan Benniman to side foot into the net and force the tie into injury time.

Neither side could break the deadlock setting up a penalty shoot-out finish which the Gills clinched 4-3 after Conor Quinn saved the Robins final spot kick.