Jack Payne celebrates his strike against Bournemouth. Picture: Ady Kerry

By Luke Cawdell

Jack Payne ended a two-month absence with a breathtaking goal and another assured display to help Gillingham claim a draw against Bournemouth on Saturday.

He was thrilled to be back involved after enduring a frustrating time on the sidelines.

"It was nice to score as I had been out for 10 weeks on Saturday and it was just an added bonus," said the 19-year-old.

"The 10 weeks were hard for me. I kept coming back and then I would have a setback and miss another couple of weeks.

"Last week I was told I may have a chance of plying but the gaffer didn’t tell me until Friday, so it was a nice surprise."

The Gills went into the break level at 1-1 after Payne struck a shot from distance.

"I didn’t really see anything else on for me so thought I would put my head down and have a go at it," said the midfielder.

"The lads were well happy and that got us going. The last two goals helped us get the draw so it wasn’t all down to me. It was nice to get the goal but it was all about the team."

Were you at Dean Court on Saturday? If so, how did you rate Jack Payne's goal? Have your say in our comments section below.