The home side started the match in extremely positive fashion and totally dominated the Shots for the opening thirty minutes. Displaying some excellent one touch football , the Gills gained a deserved lead on 12 minutes when Callum Day was put through on goal and finished with some style.
Soon after, midfielder Ryan Benniman struck the crossbar with a ferocious free-kick before a sweeping move that started with keeper Daran Hawkes sent full-back Jack Evans one on one with the visitors custodian, sadly the finish did not match the Gills impressive approach play.
Aldershot finally found their feet in the closing ten minutes of the first half but it was still against the run of play when a near post header, direct from a corner, allowed them to equalise in the 44th minute.
Three minutes after the restart, the visitors took a shock lead when Gillingham were caught in possession and a neat ball behind the defence gave a Shots forward time to lift the ball over Hawkes for 1-2.
The Gills struggled to rediscover the quality they had displayed in the first half and it took the introduction of schoolboys Bradley Dack and Jack Parter to reignite the home side's spark. Soon after, a defensive error presented Callum Day with the chance to go one-on-one with the Shots custodian and the tall forward made no mistake, netting his second of the afternoon.
Once again, the home side failed to press home their advantage and were duly caught napping from another set-piece, late in the match. The Gills defence failed to cut out a deep free-kick allowing Aldershot to force home the winner.
Gillingham: Daran Hawkes, Ollie Bartrum (Jack Parter 60), Josh Hare (Sam Fisher 30), Callum Davies, Jack Evans, Ryan Benniman, Alex Brown, Tom Brunt, James Brown (Bradley Dack 60), Nathan Nyafli, Callum Day.
Subs: Ashley Bourne, Jake MacKenzie.
