Gillingham managed to get one deal over the line on transfer deadline day but head coach Ady Pennock admitted he was hoping for more.

Sean Clare made his debut against Shrewsbury on Saturday, coming off the bench, having signed for the Gills from Championship side Sheffield Wednesday until January 3.

Gillingham were linked with Forest Green’s Keanu Marsh-Brown, a player coach Jamie Day admitted they liked the look of, and were thought to be eyeing up another striker but Clare was the only player to complete a move to Priestfield.

Pennock said: “It was busy (on deadline day) but we didn’t get anything over the line.

“It’s not just about phoning a player and saying ‘can you play for us?’ You phone the club, then the agent gets involved, then you go to the player, asking if he fancies it. It is three or four calls, sometimes 15, honestly, to get a deal over the line.”

The Gills had players available, with goalkeeper Stuart Nelson still on the transfer list.

But Pennock said: “Nobody wanted any of ours, there were no enquiries. I wanted to get one or two more in but it didn’t happen.”

Clare will give the Gills an extra attacking threat from midfield, something Pennock believes they have been lacking.

He said: “He is a bright lad, a young boy, with a good footballing brain and good ability. I thought he did well when he came on. He was calm and composed.

“He forced a couple of things, a couple of passes early doors, but once he settled he looked nice and bright. He is a young man, he is learning his trade and I thought he did okay.”

His introduction allowed the Gills to change to a more attacking system.

“We haven’t got someone here who can dribble at people,” Pennock said.

“I think he likes to get the ball deeper, running at people, but we changed it. We went to 3-4-3 in the end.

“We had a lot of attacking players on the pitch, but we couldn’t get that one goal to get that equaliser.”