Peter Taylor hailed Gillingham’s magnificent defensive display at MK Dons.

The Gills picked up a first away clean-sheet this season under Taylor and a vital three points as they look to pull clear of the League 1 relegation battle.

“It’s an outstanding result for us and one I am sure a lot of people didn’t expect and probably something we didn’t expect as well,” said Taylor.

“MK Dons are a very good footballing team but I couldn’t ask any more from the players for the way that they worked.

“I know people will look at it possession wise and I am sure on the stats there will be loads of possession for MK Dons and not a lot for us but we defended as a team and everyone backed each other up.

“I am not convinced there was a real clear-cut chance for MK Dons. There were chances, of course there was, but there wasn’t a clear-cut chance. That was credit to the players who fought magnificently as a group and deserved a clean sheet.”

Taylor made just one change to his starting XI, with Craig Fagan replacing Adebayo Akinfenwa.

“Had we gone there with a 4-4-2 formation then I think they would have opened us up too much,” Taylor said.

“There are times you have to concede certain positions and times you have to deny them space. The players worked really well and it was a very hard night for all of them.

“People like Myles Weston. We know he is a left-winger, but he was fighting back for the team and for the cause and that’s what we had all night.

“MK Dons would normally open you up and create chances. I have seen them play at home and they are very capable of doing that.

“I just want to give the players credit because of the way that we defended. We defended as a group and if there were some spaces available for the opposition they were quite a way from our goal.

“Adam Barrett and Leon Legge did some absolutely outstanding things there and Harriman as well. I could name them all, they just worked hard as a group.

“It was like a defending session which we do on a Thursday when we overload the team and that’s what MK Dons were doing, it looked as though they had more players than us. We just had to hang on in there.”