Dean Parrett has played down his spat with Fleetwood striker Ched Evans.

The pair clashed at the end of the first half on Saturday, with both men booked.

But Gillingham midfielder Parrett claims there was nothing in it and was surprised referee Neil Hair reached for his pocket.

He said: “It was a little bit of a misunderstanding.

“I put my body across him and he thought I elbowed him and one thing led to another.

“It was handbags, really. Nothing was going to come of it. You’ve just got to stand up for yourself.

“To be honest, I don’t think it got to the point where we both deserved the yellow card.

“It was a few words said to each other but nothing too rude or anything.”

Parrett stayed up with AFC Wimbledon last season and is confident Gillingham will be fine.

They’re three points clear of the League 1 relegation zone after two wins a draw in their past four games and Parrett speaks from experience when he backs the Gills to survive.

He said: “Last season it was a similar thing at Wimbledon. We ended up staying up with two games to go.

“We had to go to Doncaster and get a point, which we did, and the feeling was unbelievable.

“I know exactly what it takes, I’ve been there before and the way we’re going at the moment, I think we should be fine.

“You’ve got to take each game as it comes. You’ve got to analyse who you’re playing against, how to beat them and you need to put a structure together of how many points you need.

“Fifty-two is usually the aim (Gills have 40) so we know we need a certain amount of points from a certain amount of games and the quicker you can eat into that tally, the quicker you’re safe.

“There’s a few of us who’ve been through it before. Obviously Barry Fuller was with me last year at Wimbledon and there’s other boys. We know what we need to do.”

Parrett has impressed stepping in for the injured Billy Bingham.

He’s had to be patient after his own injury setbacks but is fit and firing for the run-in.

He said: “I’m desperate to stay in and do what I can on the pitch and hopefully the gaffer keeps me in there. It’s obviously his decision.

“I’d been out of the team for a little while, so it’s been a bit frustrating.

“I’ve had to wait for my chance, I just hope I’ve taken it now and can keep performing and keep myself in the team.

“If you’re out of the team and you don’t knock on the manager’s door then there’s an issue if you’re happy not to play.

“It’s not a case of demanding answers, it’s more what do I need to do? What do I need to improve on?

“I don’t think there’s anybody here that would be happy not playing but with all the players we’ve got now it’s a bit of a headache for the gaffer.

“As a player, if you’re sitting there and the person’s that got your shirt is playing well there’s nothing you can do.

“You just have to keep yourself fit, keep yourself ready to play and when your chance comes you’ve got to take it.”