Zak Whitelock scored the decisive penalty kick as Gillingham edged past Forest Green to book their place in the third round of the FA Youth Cup at MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Tuesday night.
The visitors took an early lead, only for Michael Luxton to draw the Gills level after a superb effort into the bottom corner. Sullivan Booth gave the hosts the lead with an excellent individual effort, but Billy Glover ensured the game went the distance when his shot across Fletcher Hegarty crept into the back of the net.
Extra time came and went without significant incident, forcing penalties. Fletcher Hegarty was the hero between the sticks, making two saves, with Whitelock holding his nerve to book Gills a place in the next round.
Joe Dunne named Stan Sargent, Louis Dayal, Cruz Beszant and Sullivan Booth in his starting XI. Michael Luxton was sent off during the first round tie at Hertford, however he had served his ban allowing him to line-up in midfield.
Raif Jones slotted in at right centre-half with Nayan Grant operating from right-back.
Forest Green took the lead with the first chance of the game when a ball played into the Gills box wasn’t cleared, and Gennaro Bifulco was first to the loose ball and slotted the ball beyond the outcoming Hegarty.
Gills responded well and had a shout for a penalty on 10 minutes when Sargent was brought down inside the box, however the referee waved away the appeals.
The hosts didn’t have to wait much longer to draw parity when Michael Luxton, who scored in the previous round, produced an excellent effort from just inside the box to find the opposite corner.
The effort was precise and had sufficient power on it to beat the diving Callum Godfrey.
Until the end of the half it was a battle for control with neither side able to assert dominance over the other. Ciaran Walsh however was fortunate that his flick off a Louie Dayal cross went straight into the hands of Godfrey.
Just before the break Billy Glover went close when his strike across Hegarty looked to be creeping in. The ball received the smallest of touches, resulting in a corner which the Gills defence cleared.
H/T: Gillingham 1-1 Forest Green Rovers
Dayal had the first chance of the second half with Sargent doing well to steal possession in the final third before finding his teammate.
The shot came in but it was a comfortable take for Godfrey. At the other end Raif Jones timed a challenge to perfection when Glover looked certain to at least test Hegarty from inside the box.
That missed opportunity proved important as Gills took the lead shortly after. A ball was cleared as far as Booth who produced a brilliant first touch to flick the ball up and over his own head before he controlled and drilled home an effort into the bottom left corner.
Just when it looked like Gills had some control of the game, Forest Green drew level. Glover had the ball on the edge of the box but found just about enough space to send a right footed effort beyond Hegarty and into the corner.
Glover could have had a second not long after, but with just Hegarty to beat following a failed clearance, he somehow put the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
On 73 minutes Gills forced a fine save from Godfrey. Beszant swung in a brilliant left footed cross which found the leaping Luxton. The header was excellent, however so was the save which conceded only a corner which Forest Green cleared.
F/T: Gillingham 2-2 Forest Green Rovers
The first period of extra-time came and went without any significant incident. A Cruz Beszant free-kick provided a half chance for the hosts, however the resulting shot struck the wall.
H/T in E/T: Gillingham 2-2 Forest Green Rovers
In the second period the game opened up as both teams sent bodies forward in search of a winner. Hegarty made an excellent save to deny Zemen Osawe with Dayal firing over at the other end.
F/T after E/T: Gillingham 2-2 Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green’s first two penalties were saved by Fletcher Hegarty with Dayal, Carruthers, Sargent and Whitelock all netting theirs to ensure the Gills prevailed.
FULL TIME: Gillingham 2-2 Forest Green Rovers (Gills win 4-2 on pens)
Gills: Hegarty, Grant (Whitelock 81), Jones, James, Adams, Luxton, Cross (Erskine 61), Booth (Carruthers 117), Beszant, Dayal, Sargent
Unused subs: Spencer, Palmer, Surrey, Kingston
Forest Green: Godfrey, Walsh, Conteh (Badham 95), Walsh, Campbell, Glover, Trigg, Robinson (Hewlett 84), Bifulco (Hine 105), Stiles, Williams (Osawe 78)
Unused subs: Connor, Hewlett, Rehmanwala
Referee: Mr Simon Cutler
Attendance: 315 (41)
