Accrington 1 Gillingham 1: League 2 match report from the Wham Stadium

Gillingham grabbed a point at Accrington after a stoppage-time equaliser scored by Max Clark.

It was a seventh away game in charge for Gills manager John Coleman and he’s still looking for a win. The Gills conceded at the end of the opening half, Benn Ward tapping in from close-range for the hosts following a free-kick, but Clark equalised on 94 minutes.

Coleman was making his return to a club that he and his assistant Jimmy Bell had led to four championship promotions. He admitted before the game he wasn’t looking forward to the match - and had to settle for a point at his old stomping ground.

Despite being sacked a year previously, Coleman and Bell remained popular figures around the Wham Stadium, large banners displaying their faces behind the goal in the home end and fans on their feet pre-match to applaud the pair.

John Doolan, who was first-team coach under Coleman and Bell at Accrington, took over the team last March, initially on a interim basis before agreeing a permanent contract as their manager.

Both teams went into the game with a 10-plus point cushion over the bottom two but not mathematically out of the woods.

Accrington thumped Newport County 5-0 at the Wham Stadium on the Tuesday to boost their hopes of staying clear of trouble.

Coleman stuck with the same starting team which had beaten Bradford City the week before, with Oli Hawkins providing the physicality upfront. There was no room in the squad for ex-Accrington winger Jack Nolan, who was at the game watching with his family.

The hosts enjoyed the better of the chances in the opening half and the Gills had goalkeeper Glenn Morris to thank for keeping the home side out.

For the Gills, Jimmy-Jay Morgan shot wide and Joe Gbode also headed the wrong side