Bristol City 1-1 Gillingham (5-3 agg)

Bristol City progressed to the Football League Trophy final for the fifth time in their history with a 5-3 aggregate win over Gillingham.

City looked well on their way to their first trip to Wembley since 2008 after taking a 4-2 lead from the first leg.

They could only draw with their League One rivals - Gills winger Jermaine McGlashan cancelling out Matt Smith's opener - but it saw them through.

The Robins will now face Walsall in the final on Sunday 22 March.

Gillingham, currently under the caretaker charge of Andy Hessenthaler and his three-man coaching team, had already lost to City three times this season in all competitions and sit 23 points behind them in the league.

The Gills put in a spirited performance in this southern area final second leg at Ashton Gate, but failed to overturn that two-goal deficit and must wait at least another year for their first Football League Trophy final.

They made the worst possible start to proceedings as Smith, who scored all four goals in the first leg, popped up yet again to put City ahead.

The on-loan Fulham striker headed home the rebound after his initial headed effort had hit the bar, to notch his seventh goal in three games against the Kent side.

The visitors eventually found their stride and Bradley Dack lofted a perfectly weighted ball for McGlashan to slot home, to bring them level on the night before half time.

City keeper Frank Fielding was forced to make two acrobatic saves as Gillingham pushed forward, first denying Doug Loft's powerful shot and then McGlashan's curling ball from the left after the break.

Smith saw a close-range effort go narrowly wide and he went on to collide heavily with the post, before Jay Emmanuel-Thomas's audacious inswinging ball almost beat keeper Stuart Nelson.

Nelson was on hand to deny Korey Smith and substitute Kieran Agard late on, and Steve Cotterill's side saw out six minutes of stoppage time to book their place at Wembley.