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Gillingham manager Steve Lovell sets striker Tom Eaves 20-plus goals target

07:39, 17 April 2018

updated: 07:50, 17 April 2018

Tom Eaves made it 15 goals for the season on Saturday, but boss Steve Lovell believes he should have had more.

Gills host Rotherham on Tuesday, three days after Eaves earned a 1-1 draw at Oldham with an injury-time penalty, but Lovell reckons his striker could have twice that amount.

“He could have had 30 this year,” said the Gills boss, always keen to get more from his leading scorer.

Tom Eaves scored his 15th goal of the season against Oldham Picture: Andy Payton
Tom Eaves scored his 15th goal of the season against Oldham Picture: Andy Payton

“With the chances he has missed and the areas he should be in, for a boy of his size and attributes, he should be scoring more goals.

“Next year I will be looking at him getting 20 plus. We will be working on him in the summer to get him into that mode and hopefully he can go one better and extend his goalscoring record.”

Lovell was pleased with his frontman on Saturday, netting the stoppage-time equaliser from the spot. It was Eaves’ first goal in his last nine appearances.

Lovell said: “Tom is a 100% player, he works hard and when he put the ball on the spot I was thinking about his one earlier in the season (Eaves had a penalty saved against Southend) but he was confident enough to stick it in.

“I am pleased for him because he works hard and he deserved that, He has been lacking in the goal stakes so that will give him a lift and give him a bit of confidence.”

Gills will take on the Millers without skipper Lee Martin, who is serving the final game of a four-match ban, while Franck Moussa and Billy Bingham are also unavailable as midfield options with both players injured.

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