Shrewsbury 3 Gillingham 3: Salop denied fourth straight win by Gareth Ainsworth's Gills

Salop played out a frantic 3-3 draw with play-off hopefuls Gillingham, on the day former Salop boss Gareth Ainsworth returned to Shropshire.

Ainsworth, back on the touch-line after two months away following heart surgery, was afforded a predictable reception from the Town masses following his departure for the Gills back in March of this year, but he would have a say in the outcome of this fixture the Kent outfit fought from two goals down to claim a point with a late equaliser.

George Lloyd had netted a brace in the first half, sandwiching an excellent Luca Hoole effort which preceded a Sam Stubbs own goal, before Gillingham fought back and earned a share of the spoils thanks to a Robbie McKenzie penalty and a late Elliott Nevitt header.

Michael Appleton made three changes to the side who suffered the damaging 3-1 defeat away at Fleetwood Town last weekend; George Lloyd came back into the side to lead the line, while teenager Isaac England was granted his third league start of the campaign and Luca Hoole was summoned back, too.

There were, naturally, chants from the home end aimed at the returning Ainsworth, 'stick' which he himself predicted would be awaiting him on the touch-line, as the game settled into a rhythm - then, in the tenth minute, Shrewsbury hit the front. After an indirect free kick from Sam Clucas was hooked clear for a throw-in, Stubbs arrowed his delivery onto the head of Tom Anderson, whose flick-on caused panic. Anthony Scully's resulting effort ricocheted off Lloyd and cannoned in off the post.

Gillingham did apply pressure in their reply. Focal point Sam Vokes was utilised plenty, but wasn't permitted a clear sight of goal and, indeed, in the opening quarter of an hour, the closest they came was a smart volley from the boot of McKenzie which had Will Brook flying to his left but which fizzed just wide.

Salop picked up the bit again, though. Utilising Sam Clucas' set-piece qualities, and Stubbs' long throws, they prompted anxiety in the Gills defence - but it was with a touch of class from open play that the second goal arrived. Hoole, who'd already demonstrated great skill in winning a corner with a nutmeg, won his header on the right and, using Lloyd's run as a decoy, skipped into the penalty area before finishing across Jake Turner and into the far corner.

Gillingham then suffered another blow. Experienced target man Vokes was forced off with injury and Ainsworth was left to shuffle his pack, but they responded with a goal of their own before the interval. Garath McCleary was afforded the time and space to curl a looping cross from the right and, in his attempts to beat the towering Josh Andrews to the ball in the air and clear, Stubbs rose high and ended up nodding above the despairing Brook and in off the bar.

There were a few groans as five minutes went up on the board to signal the amount of stoppage time to come, but Town ultimately used it to their advantage; Scully, relentless in his running, closed down Jonny Williams and forced the midfielder to give up possession. The turnover caught out the Gills, who'd been building up an attack, and Scully slipped in Lloyd on the run. The forward took a touch which actually took him slightly wider than he might've liked, but his finish across Jake Turner and into the far corner was exquisite. Town's two-goal advantage was restored before the break.

They negotiated the first 20 minutes of the restart without too many issues, too, until Stubbs was adjudged to have brought Josh Andrews to the ground while they and many others awaited the delivery of Bradley Dack's corner. The referee didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot and McKenzie calmly converted.

The temperature dropped and the rain began to fall in the second half as conditions became a little trickier. Gillingham had their tails up at this point and Shrewsbury's back-line had to stand up and be counted as they came under more pressure.

They did so for quite some time until, heartbreakingly, they succumbed with just four minutes of normal time remaining. The visitors had increased the levels of pressure by this stage and when a corner was only half cleared and returned, substitute Nevitt glanced an effort beyond Brook, who had but a split second to react before it was past him.

Salop did come again before the end, and sought to wreak havoc from long throws with substitutes John Marquis and Chuks Aneke in situ, but the final whistle was met with an element of dissatisfaction and a pondering about what might've been.

TEAMS

Shrewsbury Town: Brook; Hoole, Anderson, Boyle, Stubbs, Clucas; England, Ruffels, Kabia (Aneke 74), Scully (Marquis 74), Lloyd

Substitutes not used: Harrison, Benning, McDermott, Sang, Perry

Gillingham: Turner, Hutton, Clark (Cirino 60), Coleman, McCleary, Williams (Khumbeni 60), Palmer-Houlden, McKenzie, Vokes (Andrews 27), Dack, Gale

Substitutes not used: Holtham, Rowe, Akomeah

GOALS

Shrewsbury: Lloyd 10, 45+4, Hoole 22; Gillingham - Palmer-Houlden 37, McKenzie pen 66, Nevitt 86