A CONTROVERSIAL stoppage time penalty from former Latics youngster Tom Eaves handed Gillingham a last-gasp share of the spoils as a tense encounter at Boundary Park ended on a sour note.

Duckens Nazon’s strike on the stroke of half time had looked like being enough to move Athletic further clear of League One danger.

But disaster struck when Wilfried Moimbe was involved in an off-the-ball incident as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes. Referee Michael Salisbury, who had enraged the home support with some baffling decisions all afternoon, first sent off Moimbe for retaliation – the full back threw a punch after being fouled – then, bizarrely, pointed to the spot.

Johny Placide went the right way for the penalty but Eaves’ effort found the corner.

No wonder the official needed a stewards’ escort down the tunnel at the end.

Latics are now only a point clear of Rochdale who occupy the final relegation place in the drop zone. And it’s a trip to Spotland up next on Tuesday.

The home side were unchanged from Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Walsall but there was no place on the bench for Craig Davies who missed out with an ankle injury.

Gillingham had some familiar faces on show at a warm and sunny Boundary Park with former Athletic men Conor Wilkinson and Josh Parker leading the line and Eaves on the bench.

If the visitors, with little to play for, were already on the beach, Richie Wellens' men needed to get their proverbial towels down early on and assert some authority to put trapdoor worries in the shade.

If only it was that simple.

Although Duckens Nazon’s effort was smothered by ’keeper Tomas Holy after 11 minutes and Jack Byrne shot straight at the Gills’ stopper three minutes later, the opening half-hour was sloppy with errant passes going astray on a regular basis.

Athletic almost paid for their sluggishness when Wilkinson’s snapshot struck a post on 24 minutes.

Only some heroic defending from Anthony Gerrard prevented the same player from going one better a minute later when the skipper made a last-ditch block just as the former Latics loan striker pulled the trigger.

On Grand National day, Latics weren’t at the races.

Two let-offs in as many minutes were at least enough to wake Latics from their collective slumber.

Ten minutes from half time, Eoin Doyle hit Holy’s right-hand post not once, but twice, as the rebound from his original header came back to the frontman. An offside flag was raised in any case.

Patrick McEleney’s powerful downward header from a floated Byrne free kick was somehow stopped on the line by Holy from point-blank range five minutes later.

Supporters sensed the breakthrough wasn’t far away and sure enough it arrived right on half time.

Nazon did brilliantly to jink round a defender on the right-hand side of the penalty area before drilling a low shot into the corner for his fourth of the season.

The goal, coming when it did, should have seen Athletic emerge for the second period in buoyant mood but again the hosts began the half slightly off the pace.

Gillingham should have been level just three minutes after the restart when Morris played in Wilkinson who shot narrowly wide when well placed.

Only Placide will know how he managed to keep out Jake Hessenthaler’s close-range header from substitute Eaves’ right-wing cross on the hour mark. It was a terrific reflex save from the Haitian stopper to maintain his side’s slender lead.

At the other end Doyle shot wide after latching on to Byrne’s threaded pass with the contest becoming stretched.

Then came the spot-kick drama at the death. Moimbe appeared to have been fouled, retaliated and was shown a straight red card. After a quick chat with his assistant, the referee pointed to the spot.

Eaves made no mistake from 12 yards.

What a head scratcher . . . what a kick in the teeth.

LATICS (4-4-2): Placide 7, Moimbe 7, Gerrard 7, Edmundson 7, Hunt 7; Fane 7, Gardner 7, Byrne 8, McEleney 6 (Nepomuceno 69, 6); Nazon 7 (Amadi-Holloway 84), Doyle 7 (Hamer 90). Subs (not used): De la Paz, Obadeyi, Pringle, Benteke. Booked: Fane, Byrne, Edmundson, Hunt. Sent off: Moimbe, 90.

GILLINGHAM (3-5-2): Holy, Nugent (O’Neill 58), Ehmer, Zakuani; Reilly, M Byrne, Garmston (List 73), Wagstaff, Hessenthaler; Wilkinson (Eaves 58), Parker. Subs (not used): Hadler, Ogilve, Stevenson, Nasseri. Referee: Michael Salisbury.

Attendance: 3,850 (215 away)