Cash-strapped Accrington Stanley booked a prize fourth round draw with Fulham after beating Gillingham.
Miles fires Accrington into fourth round
Cash-strapped Accrington Stanley booked a prize fourth round draw with Fulham after beating Gillingham at the Crown Ground.
John Miles was the hero for Stanley as he fired home the winner just 10 minutes from time.
Accrington will now face Premier League Fulham this weekend in what will be a major boost to the club's finances.
Stanley had been wasteful though in the first half. Bobby Grant rifled a shot wide in the first minute while his effort from six yards out minutes later took a deflection.
Striker Michael Symes also had a close-range shot saved by Gills goalkeeper Alan Julian while Sean McConville blasted inches wide.
The failed to take their chances, though, and were almost made to pay immediately after the break but Reds keeper Dean Bouzanis pulled off a point blank save to keep out Mark Bentley's effort - the League One side's first strike on target.
The game was on a knife-edge but Accrington again forced the pace with Symes forcing a good save out of Julian and then Stanley substitute Billy Kee rifled over an open goal after the keeper had dropped a looping cross.
But Stanley got the goal they deserved when Kee knocked the ball down and Miles scored his solo effort to boost the Crown Ground club's finances by around £100,000 after they were almost wound up by the tax man in November.
