Hereford 0 Gillingham 2: FA Cup first round match report from Edgar Street | Jayden Clarke and Tom Nichols on target for Stephen Clemence’s side

A late Tom Nichols penalty sealed Gillingham’s place in round two of the FA Cup at the expense of non-league Hereford.

Jayden Clarke’s goal separated the sides in an opening half that Stephen Clemence’s Gillingham side deservedly led. Hereford battled back after the break but couldn’t find the moment of magic to unlock the defence and Nichols’ 88th minute penalty sealed it for the visitors.

Gillingham’s new head coach Clemence opted to stick with the same starting XI which had kicked off the previous week in the league, under then-interim boss Keith Millen.

The Gills had reached the third round in the competition last year, enjoying a live televised game against Leicester City in round three, and they took on National North Hereford with hopes of another memorable run.

League 2 Gills were up against a Hereford side mid-table in the division two levels below them and the Edgar Street crowd - a home sell-out - remembered their own FA Cup hero Ronnie Radford on the day, a year on from his death, with an applause on 11 minutes.

Wearing no.11, Radford’s superb goal helped non-league Hereford beat Newcastle in a third-round replay in 1972 - described by many as the FA Cup’s greatest goal.

In a slight tweak to the set-up, Gills lined up 4-5-1 / 4-3-3, with Jonny Williams playing wide and Connor Mahoney more central.

The Gills looked to be playing more patient football, with the new coach keen to build a possession-based style. It was a positive first 45 minutes in charge for Clemence.

Malone and Clarke both went wide with early efforts before the home keeper was forced into action. It was Malone again with a shot, hitting it low across goal, but Curtis Pond got a hand to it.

Williams looked to be playing with confidence and