Adam Barrett and Leon Legge have formed a solid partnership for Gillingham in defence Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Leon Legge believes the club’s strength at the back is being helped by consistency in the team selection.

Boss Martin Allen has rarely messed with the line-up at the back for Gillingham and the club currently boast one of the best defensive records in the Football League.

The central defender, 27, joined from Brentford at the end of December and has played in the last nine games – five of which have ended in a clean sheet for Allen’s men.

A central defensive partnership with Adam Barrett is bringing rewards and Legge said: "It’s a good little partnership that we have going.

"I am a firm believer that you can’t tinker too much with the back four. It has happened before at one of my old clubs, where in two months I had three or four different centre-half partners.

"Every player is different and to try and get used to playing alongside someone you need to have consistent games.

"When you have got someone there every week and you know what he is going to do in certain situations and he knows what you are going to do, it is good to have that.

"When you know what the right-back and the centre-half are going to do, everything falls into place and that is why, at the moment, we are getting those clean sheets."

Legge scored his first Gills goal on Saturday, with the opener in the 2-1 win over Dagenham.

Read more from Leon Legge in Friday's Medway Messenger newspaper.