Captain Paul Smith grabbed a vital winner to keep Gillingham's Coca-Cola Championship survival bid on course.

Smith's 70th-minute strike finished off an out-of-sorts Stoke and enabled Gillingham, who have been in the relegation zone since October, to move level on points with fourth-bottom Coventry.

James McEveley had put Stan Ternent's side into an early lead but Kenwyne Jones levelled after the break for City.

Gillingham received a lift earlier in the day when striker Darius Henderson was cleared to play after the Football Association rescinded the red card he was shown against Leeds.

And Ternent was handed another boost barely a minute into the match when his side took the lead.

Jonathon Douglas' run down the right was checked by Michael Duberry and McEveley stepped up to whip in the resulting free-kick.

The ball flew through a crowd of Stoke defenders, straight past goalkeeper Steve Simonsen, and nestled into the left-hand corner of the net for the on-loan Blackburn defender's first goal in professional football.

Michael Flynn squandered a chance to double their advantage when his shot flew wide, before Nicky Southall nodded Henderson's cross just over the top.

Stoke, for their part, were looking a shadow of the side on a six-match unbeaten run as the hosts dominated possession.

They could have dragged themselves level with their solitary chance of the first half but a free-kick from skipper Clive Clarke scraped Steve Banks' left-hand post.

But whatever manager Tony Pulis had to say at half-time did the trick as City carved out an equaliser nine minutes after the break.

Dave Brammer floated in a free-kick from the right and Jones, on loan from Southampton, rose highest to plant a header past Banks for his second goal for the Potters.

Clarke and Kevin Harper then tried their luck as Stoke pushed forward, but neither troubled Banks, before Smith thumped the Gills ahead once again.

A poor clearance from Stoke landed at the feet of Smith, and he lashed a first-time shot past the helpless Simonsen.

Banks did well to preserve the lead when he kept out another Jones header before the keeper departed with an injury, but Stoke offered little else in attack and Gillingham held out to extend their unbeaten run to four matches and stay on the coat-tails of the teams directly above them.

Teams

Gillingham Banks (Bossu 79), Nosworthy, Hope, Cox, McEveley, Southall, Smith, Douglas, Flynn, Sidibe, Henderson (Byfield 66).

Subs Not Used: Crofts, Hills, Jarvis.

Booked: Flynn, Smith.

Goals: McEveley 2, Smith 70.

Stoke Simonsen, Thomas, Duberry, Taggart (Buxton 87), Hill, Harper, Brammer, Russell, Clarke (Greenacre 84), Noel-Williams (Ricketts 80), Jones.

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Henry.

Booked: Brammer, Taggart, Duberry.

Goals: Jones 54.

Att: 7,766

Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).