Boss Steve Lovell admitted to threatening Tom Eaves with a fine before the striker tucked home Gillingham's third goal on Saturday.

Lovell was keen to take the player off, after he had picked up a booking, but Eaves wasn’t so keen.

The Gills manager said: “He works his socks off every week and I was going to bring him off.

“Before his goal I said to him ‘Tom, you’ve got five minutes and then you’re coming off’. He said, ‘gaffer, I want to stay on, I’m all right’.

“I said to him, ‘if you get sent off, I am going to fine you £3,000!’ He said, ‘don’t worry, I am staying on’.

“He stayed on and got his goal and once he got his goal I thought he would be happy then so we brought him off.”

It was Eaves’ 11th goal of the season, but he’s also now on eight bookings, edging closer to a suspension.

Keeping the Gills with 11 players on the field was key for Lovell at the weekend.

He said: “I didn’t want him to get another yellow card and miss games (through suspension) or for us to be down to 10 men, but he was all happy in the end.

“We can’t afford to lose anyone and I can’t afford to have anyone sent off. He came off and Conor (Wilkinson) went on, did well, worked hard and held the ball up well for us.”