Harry McKirdy’s first goal since leaving Swindon Town saw them salvage a late point with a 2-2 draw against Gillingham.

In an opening 45 minutes in which Swindon had largely been able to keep Gillingham quiet, Sean McGurk bagged his first senior goal after a delightful run to give the lead at the break.

But as seems to be the script that nobody fancies changing any time soon, after the break Oli Hawkins headed home and Connor Mahoney dispatched a penalty, but McKirdy fired home in stoppage time for Swindon to earn a point.

Swindon have now dropped 28 points from winning positions this season as another lead went begging, meaning Town’s wait for a first win at Gillingham since 1986 goes on.

Gavin Gunning made three changes from Swindon’s late draw with Salford City as Charlie Austin came back into the side as captain, with McGurk also returning to the squad to be part of the front three. Jake Cain was restored to the starting 11 as Saidou Khan missed out with an injury.

Gillingham had the first real opening as Cain’s pass in midfield went astray and into the path of Remeao Hutton just inside the Swindon half. He drove down the touchline and sent in a good cross toward Hawkins, but Frazer Blake-Tracy nipped in ahead of him and managed to clear.

After 21 minutes Hutton again caused some problems as he delivered a cross from deep that the wind caught and it almost dropped under the crossbar, were it not for Jack Bycroft pushing it over.

The Gills began to ramp up the pressure as they had a string of corners that Swindon seemingly could not clear. They even had the ball in the back of the net as Jonny Williams picked out Conor Masterson to turn home, but he had been caught out by Swindon’s offside trap.

After 24 minutes, with the hosts in the ascendancy, McGurk broke away and drove towards the edge of the area. He feigned to go one way, sending the defender into the row of houses outside the ground, before turning the other way and dispatching his finish into the top corner. A first professional goal for the January signing.

It could have been like London buses for McGurk before long as Cain slipped a pass out to him on the left. He cut inside onto his right foot and curled a shot on target that Jake Turner was able to get behind.

In the 37th minute, Swindon worked the ball patiently on the left wing, circulating passes before Williams Kokolo whipped in a cross that Paul Glatzel met on the volley and it flew narrowly over the crossbar.

It looked destined to be two right before the break as Charlie Austin slipped a pass in front of Glatzel. He beat Turner to the ball and took it around him, but Shad Ogie motored back and dived in to block his shot, allowing Turner to get back and grab the ball off the line.

Half-time substitute Aaron Drinan made a determined run up the right touchline to swing in a cross from the corner. Glatzel left it for Austin, who stabbed it over the top on the stretch.

Kokolo linked up with McGurk down the left and the latter played a low ball to the top of the box. Austin latched onto it and was able to turn before having a strike flick off a defender and loop over the bar.

Gillingham had a golden chance after 61 minutes when a corner came to the unmarked Masterson essentially stood on the goal line. He fluffed his header and it went up and allowed Conor McCarthy to clear off the line.

Swindon broke away after that near scare, Glatzel showed the defender a clean pair of heels to get through on goal and curled a shot around Turner, but once again a defender was there to clear his shot off the line.

Hutton cut inside from the right and picked out Hawkins with a cross, his head came off the post. Gillingham kept the play alive and put the ball back in for the striker to get a second bite at it and he made no mistake.

Zac Elbouzedi charged down the right and crossed to the far post where Harry McKirdy was, he headed beyond Turner but for the third time in the game, a blue shirt was there to clear.

Then after 79 minutes, the dancing feet of Jorge Hurtado did enough to draw a tackle from Frazer Blake-Tracy, bringing down the forward in the area. Mahoney stepped up and buried his penalty in the bottom corner despite Bycroft guessing right.

With seconds remaining, McKirdy cut in from the right and whipped a fierce shot into the bottom corner to salvage a point.

GFC starting XI: Turner, Clark, Masterson, Ehmer, Williams, Hawkins, Coleman, Ogie, Hutton, Dieng, Walker.

GFC substitutes: Morris, Lapslie, Nadesan, Malone, McKenzie, Hurtado, Mahoney.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Glatzel, McGurk, Kokolo, Devoy, Godwin-Malife, McCarthy, Austin.

STFC substitutes: Brann, Elbouzedi, McKirdy, Hepburn-Murphy, Brewitt, Drinan, Minturn.

Attendance: 6,096 (264 away).