Fleet hold Gills

11:13am Wednesday 25th July 2001

Gravesend and Northfleet's pre-season build up continued after a credible 2-2 draw against Division One neighbours Gillingham at Stonebridge Road on Saturday.

Fleet paraded new-signing from Margate, Elliot Martin and trialists including Danny Lye, Liam Hatch, Aiden O'Brian, Justin Skinner and Carl Bartley, all looking to impress the management.

The visitors took the lead in the eighth minute, when Marlon King scored after good work from David Perpetuini and Iffy Onuora.

Fleet could have levelled when a Jimmy Jackson shot hit the crossbar and he also forced a save from Gills' keeper Vince Bartram soon afterwards.

Gillingham had chances of their own as Iffy Onuora had a diving header which went wide.

But Gravesend equalised in the 33rd minute thanks to an Adrian Pennock own goal.

Robert Owen's cross from the right troubled Pennock in the box, and under a bit of pressure from Che Stadhart, he bundled the ball past his own keeper.

But King put the Gills back in front with his second of the game five minutes before half-time after he rounded Jamie Turner in the home goal to slot home.

Both sides made several changes at half-time, giving Fleet boss Andy Ford a chance to look at the trialists.

The home side grabbed a well-deserved equaliser seven minutes from time.

Stadhart put Paul Booth through on goal and his low shot beat Jason Brown.

Second half substitute and trialist from Deal Town, Hatch, then had a chance to win the game for Gravesend.

But his shot hit the side-netting in a one-on-one with the keeper after being put through by another Stadhart throughball.

Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler could have won the game for his side, but was thwarted by a

superb, last-ditch tackle from Francis Duku.

But in a closely-contested game, with chances at a premium, the final score of 2-2 was a fair result on the newly-laid Stonebridge Road pitch, relaid after extensive drainage works since last season.

After Fleet's 5-2 win over VCD last week, they travelled to Ramsgate as we went to press and are away to Tonbridge tomorrow (Thursday).

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