Young Guns exit Kent Senior Cup

The Gills’ return to Kent Senior Cup action after a 13-year exile was a brief one as a young side was beaten 2-1 at Welling.

With just 13 fit professionals available for Saturday’s 5-2 win at Torquay, it was no surprise to see none of them risked in the tie.

The Gills have already suffered one hugely costly injury at Park View Road this season when Adam Birchall injured his cruciate ligament in an accidental collision in a pre-season friendly, and with a big game against Oxford at Priestfield on Saturday, manager Andy Hessenthaler named a side which has just a handful of first-team appearances.

Stefan Payne – who put the Gills ahead from the penalty spot – was the most experienced in the XI, with Paulo Gazzaniga, Callum Davies, Jack Evans and Ashley Miller the only other players who have so far made a first-team appearance.

The most notable incident of the first half was the home side being forced to change their strip after the referee decided their red clashed with the Gills’ pink kit, but Payne was on the spot early in the second half after Miller was felled in the box.

But the Wings levelled with a penalty of their own, Davies bringing down Tamer Tuna in the box and Lee Clarke netting.

Extra-time was looming until injury time when former Gill Luis Cumbers’ cross was put into his own net by Bradley Dack.