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James Milner scored twice as Aston Villa overcame League Two Gillingham with a 2-1 FA Cup third-round victory at the Priestfield.

Milner opened the scoring with a fine early goal before the home side hit back 13 minutes into the second half with a superb strike by Simeon Jackson.

Both sides pressed hard for a winner on a difficult, bobbling pitch, and Milner scored the winner from the penalty spot with 12 minutes to play when Ashley Young was barged inside the box.

The bitterly cold conditions did not effect the capacity crowd at the Priestfield and the game started in a frenetic atmosphere, with the home side showing good confidence on the ball in the early stages.

But Villa took the lead with the first shot on goal with 13 minutes gone when Milner - celebrating his 23rd birthday - outmuscled Gills skipper Adam Miller, interchanged passes with Stiliyan Petrov and fired sweetly past Simon Royce from the edge of the box.

The home side almost drew level a couple of minutes later when fine work from Gary Mulligan down the right saw him pull the ball back for Dennis Oli, but he shot into the side netting.

And Gillingham continued to have their Champions-League-spot-chasing opponents on the rack as the half progressed. First Miller had a free-kick right on the edge of the box deflected narrowly wide, before Jackson glanced a header a yard wide at Mulligan's free-kick.

But the Gills got the goal they craved 12 minutes into the second half when Mulligan flicked on for Jackson and the Gills' top scorer lashed the ball inside Brad Friedel's near post in some style.

Both sides pressed forward in search of a winner in the final half hour, with manager Martin O'Neill growing increasingly frustrated on the touchline as Gillingham demonstrated their enthusiasm for the fight with some hefty challenges.

And it was a poor challenge that handed Villa the chance to win it as Lewis just failed to pull out of a tackle while Young burst into the box from the left, the winger making contact with the defender's thigh and earning the referee's decision.

With regular penalty taker Gareth Barry missing from the line-up, Milner stepped up to calmly fire home from the spot to put his side back in front - a lead they held onto in the final ten minutes as Gillingham tested the Villa defence with a series of high balls into the box.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport