by Luke Cawdell

Striker Jackson scored with 12 minutes left to finally see off a Wycombe side who twice came back from behind to make for a testing clash at Priestfield on Saturday.

Goals from Josh Gowling and Curtis Weston gave Gillingham the first half advantage at 2-1, but an own goal from Mark Bentley midway through the second half made it all-square.

Jackson's 10th goal of the season - a superb lob in the 78th minute - put the Gills back ahead though and that time they hung on to claim maximum points for the first time in four League 1 matches.

Boss Mark Stimson was delighted to get all three points and for Jackson to once more show what he can do.

He said: "I'm very happy when I win and when I don't win I'm miserable. The next thing you look at after the result is the performance and that was decent on a horrible pitch.

"It was really boggy but full credit to the boys, they put a shift in and we knew we would have to do that because of what unfortunately happened at Wycombe, with the manager leaving.

“Second half was a bit up and down and there were some really strange decisions by the referee - but in the end we got there and by the player [Jackson] who hasn’t played recently.

"People say 'do you miss him' and it's an understatement. There was no other player on the pitch who could have scored that goal. He proved what he is worth to us: a hell of a lot because he is a goalscorer and if you don’t score goals you don’t win games."

Gowling had put the Gills ahead on 16 minutes after a training-ground move from a corner kick left Wycombe chasing shadows and the home defender pounced.

The scores were level 12 minutes later, though, when Kevin Betsy laid the ball back to Craig Woodman on the edge of the box and he blasted home into the top corner.

Wycombe’s equaliser came against the run of play, but it gave them a lift and they almost took the lead moments later, as captain Michael Duberry came an inch away from converting Woodman’s dangerous free-kick.

There were few opportunities for Gillingham for much of the remainder of the half and Dennis Oli’s deft flick, which just went wide of the post, was as good as it got for the hosts during a subdued spell.

Gillingham ended the half on a high, however, as Jack Payne’s 44th minute throw-in was flicked on and Weston was there to head home from close range.

The second half started at a lively tempo with Betsy firing just over for the hosts in the opening seconds and Oli going just as close the other end.

Just after the hour the visitors levelled it up again. Woodman’s free-kick was cleared but Marlon Pack returned the ball into the danger area and former Gills defender Leon Johnson turned away to claim the goal, although Mark Bentley got the decisive touch.

With 78 minutes played the Gills took the lead for the third time.

Jackson, back in the side after missing the last two matches with a hamstring injury, latched onto Josh Gowling’s long ball forward and lobbed keeper Scott Shearer.

It was a nervous finale for the Gills and Royce had to be at his best to hang onto Woodman’s vicious free-kick late in the game. Substitute Stuart Green also lashed a shot wide.

After four anxious minutes of injury time the Gills were finally able to celebrate the win.

Gills: Royce, Fuller, Nutter, Bentley, Gowling, Miller (Lewis 69), Oli (Rooney 71), Weston, Payne, Barcham, Jackson. Subs not used: Richards, Palmer, Erskine, Julian, Yussuff.

Wycombe: Shearer, Hunt (Chambers 88), Woodman, Johnson, Duberry, Westlake (Green 75), Harrold, Pittman, Phillips (Zebroski 58), Pack, Betsy. Subs not used: Young, Oliver, Montrose, Westwood.

Attendance: 5,316.