Gillingham’s match-winning striker Tom Nichols hopes a strong end to their current campaign will propel them into a promotion challenge next season.

The Gills have been one of the form teams in League 2 since the arrival of new players in January. Nichols was the first of those to sign. His volley on Friday against Doncaster sealed an eighth win in nine league games at Priestfield in 2023.

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Since the new faces joined the Gills they’ve been averaging two points a game - enough over the course of a season to be in the automatic promotion hunt. That’s the target next year for the club and Nichols, who at 29, is still waiting to taste promotion success.

He said: “With the infrastructure here, the new owners, I believe this club is ready to be promoted.

“We don’t want the season to peter out, we want to build for next season and keep improving as a side.

“If you take our form from January onwards and replicate it over the course of the season, that’s promotion form.

“I am really excited for next season, a fresh start, hopefully we will go into next season with so much momentum that we carry on winning.

“I have never been promoted. One of my biggest goals as a player is to be promoted, that is my main focus, no matter how it is, to get promoted.

“I firmly believe that with everything going on at this club we will be right up there next season. Getting promoted would definitely be a highlight of my career.”

For now, the Gills are concentrating on finishing the season strongly.

While Nichols got the goal against Doncaster in a 1-0 win, had his early gift on two minutes gone in, the average-looking visitors may have been in for an even tougher afternoon.

He apologised for heading over when unmarked after just two minutes but his 44th minute volley made amends.

“It wasn’t a brilliant game but at this stage of the season it’s just about three points,” he said.

“We defended really well, as we always do, credit to the boys at the back. It was nice to tuck a goal away after missing an earlier chance, good to get a goal.

“I have to apologise to Alex MacDonald for that one (I missed). He put the ball on the money as he always does and I just tried to probably head it too hard, it came off the top of my head and has gone over. Apologies Macca, I let you down!

“He did his job and unfortunately I didn’t do mine, he played really well again and I am sure he is disappointed I didn’t tuck it away but I will tuck the next one away.

“I know I can score more, I have to take more chances when I get them. Luckily I managed to take the next one, just before half-time.”

Strike-partner Oli Hawkins flicked on a throw and Nichols was there to guide the ball home on the volley.

Nichols said: “I tend to hang around and dart in and it’s landed at my foot and I tucked it away, which was nice on the left foot.

"Hawks wins the majority of his contacts, no matter how many players are around him, I just gambled off that. He flicked it into the right area and a defender was a little bit asleep so I managed to nip in there and score.”

A tougher test awaits the Gills on Monday when they head to promotion chasing Northampton.

“It will be an exciting game,” said the striker, now on nine for the season. “It will be very tough, they aren’t up there by fluke, they are a very well-drilled League 2 side, multiple promotions from this league, a bit of a yo-yo team.

“We’re going to go with a game plan to win the game.

“I am sure we will bring a lot of away fans, there will be a big crowd there because they are right up there. We’re looking forward to it. It will be good challenge.”