Gillingham boss Mark Stimson wants his front men to get back to their shoot-on-sight principles after witnessing another blank on Friday night.

Following the 1-0 defeat by Southend at Roots Hall, Gillingham have scored just one goal from their last four outings and it’s proving costly, with Stimson’s side sliding down to 19th in League 1.

Stimson said: "We always express to the players that if you see the white posts, shoot.

"There are some players who are probably embarrassed if they miss. They shouldn’t be embarrassed, they should be embarrassed if they haven’t shot and they pass the responsibility on to someone else.

"There are a couple of boys who have got the ability to hit the ball, like Curtis Weston (pictured) and Stuart Lewis, but it’s about taking that opportunity. The more times you shoot, the more times you’re going to score.

"In the first half (at Southend) Simon Royce must have had four or five shots from 20 to 25 yards. Two or three he caught with ease, then another two or three he had to palm away.

"That gives players confidence and it gets the crowd behind you. It’s something we should add to the team.

"In training before the game they do it but it’s when he (the referee) blows his whistle, that’s when you have to have the courage and the ability."

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