Cody McDonald celebrates his goal with Mark Bentley Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham clinched a point from their League 2 trip to Stevenage.

Goals from Cody McDonald and Adebayo Akinfenwa put Gills ahead, after trailing to a goal midway through the first half.

A header from Byron Harrison, his second of the night, pulled Stevenage back on level terms.

The game started in rough and tumble fashion, with Josh Gowling taking a whack early on and Alan Julian also getting himself in the wars. Gowling’s knock was enough to mean he needed replacing.

Chances were few and far between early on and the Gills found themselves a goal down after 25 minutes when Harrison rose at the far post to head in Lawrie Wilson’s cross.

Midfielder Danny Jackman came close to equalising, with a long distance effort that Chris Day needed to tip over, and it took until first half injury time for the Gills to level the game.

Cody McDonald was the man in the right place once more and he popped up in the box to fire home after Barry Fuller had crossed into the box.

Gillingham turned the game around on 50 minutes to the delight of the noisy 648 away fans when Akinfenwa steered home a low cross from Joe Martin.

With 15 minutes gone it was all-square when Harrison rose unchallenged and headed in Peter Winn’s cross.

The Gills were indebted to some late heroics from Alan Julian as he made great saves from Rob Sinclair, Harrison and Jon Ashton in the latter stages to keep the scores level.

Stevenage: Day, Wilson, Laird, Charles, Ashton, Foster, Roberts, Beardsley (May 64mins), Sinclair, Henry, Harrison. Subs: Bayes, Long, Byrom, Daley, Winn (Charles 75mins), Bridges.

Gillingham: Julian, Fuller, Nutter, Lawrence, Gowling (Richards 28mins), Maher (J Payne 81mins), Bentley (Oli 81mins), Martin, Jackman, Akinfenwa, McDonald. Subs: Weston, Rooney, S Payne, Cronin.

Attendance: 2,424