Striker Macaulay Bonne says head coach Stephen Clemence has got them believing they can play a different way.

The Gills beat Charlton 2-0 on Saturday in the FA Cup, with a performance that showed what the players are capable of.

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Clemence wants the team to play with more style and Bonne is glad that they’ve been given the licence to impress.

Bonne, who scored the opener in the weekend cup win, said: “He has brought belief, that we are actually good players, we are not just here to play the League 2 way, like a lot of clubs in this league do, it works for them but the modern game is changing.

“The more we can play football and also have that way of mixing it up if we need to, it’s not always direct, we can play out from the back, play through the thirds, if we have to then I am that focal point to play up to and lead the line, that’s an option, but we have players like Jonny Williams, George Lapslie, Ethan (Coleman), DJ (Dom Jefferies), Timmy (Dieng), the list goes on.

“He has brought belief into the squad and he has come to us saying how good a team we are and we just need to prove it, the more and more we train it is getting intense, it is now showing in our performances.”

Bonne joined the Gills in the summer after he was released by Charlton - the team who he helped dump out of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The 28-year-old has made 24 appearances so far for the Gills, 10 coming off the bench.

“I am enjoying it,” he said, on life at Gillingham.

“We have a great bunch of lads, we are a good group and myself I have my own targets, stats I want to be at, I am not hitting them yet, but I am making sure my game is on top form, if I come on and hold the ball up, I make sure that is there, the goals will come and that comes with confidence and hopefully now I can go on a bit of a roll now.

“It is getting there (as a team) and there is real team belief, team spirit that we can achieve what we want to, what everyone expects us to do.”

It’s back to league action for the Gills this Saturday with a trip to Barrow.

“It’s a hell of a journey,” said the striker. “But those are the games that if we are to get where we want to be, that is one we can look back on and say, ‘that long journey up to Barrow, we won there’.

“An extra three points on the board could take us to where we want to be.”