A late James Walker penalty was enough to clinch a point for the Gills against a hard -working Crawley Town side at a cold and blustery Beechings Cross.

It was the visitors who made the early running, Darragh Ryan striking a fifth minute free-kick over the cross-bar before Dion Chambers broke the deadlock on eleven minutes, shrugging off Callum Davies' challenge to place his finish into the bottom corner.

Within minutes, the visitors should have had a second as a long clearance from keeper Jordan carried to Danny Forrest on the right of goal but the forward's low effort deflected agonisingly wide of the far post.

Gillingham recovered their composure and were unlucky in the 17^th minute as a wind assisted goal-kick fell kindly for James Walker to flash a ferocious drive past the top left corner.

Luke Rooney also went close on two occasions, first failing to make contact with a wicked far post cross midway through the half, then testing Nick Jordan with a 25-yard drive that the Crawley keeper was able to divert around the post.

Crawley started the second half in positive fashion, Royce blocking Darragh Ryan's far post shot with his knees on the hour mark and Ryan curling a 62^nd minute corner straight on to the woodwork at the near post.

Gillingham levelled the scores soon after in spectacular fashion, Jack Evans blocked shot carrying to Rashid Yussuf who rifled into the roof of the net from fully 30-yards.

The visitors regained the lead on 68 minutes in a moment Simon Royce will want to forget, the Gills custodian raced off his line to clear up field, only to see Danny Forrest lob the ball over his head and into the empty net from just inside the Gills half.

Futher chances went begging for Walker, Rooney and sub James Brown before Luke Rooney was upended in the box, five minutes from time, allowing Walker to tuck in the equaliser from the spot.

Gillingham: Simon Royce, Jack Payne, Josh Gowling, Callum Davies, Jack Evans, Luke Rooney, Sam Fisher (55 James Brown), Ryan Benniman (Dean Rance 55), Rashid Yussuf, James Walker, Charlie Stimson

Crawley Town: Nick Jordan, Nick Carter, Nathan Ashton (Tommy Brewer 65), Byron Napper, Dominic Casciato, Charlie Dodd, Ben Starosta, Dion Chambers, Danny Forrest (Brannon O'Neill 80), Mithun Nayee (Ryan Fletcher 60), Darragh Ryan.