Gillingham defend against Aldershot Picture: Barry Goodwin

By Luke Cawdell

Martin Allen had more than one reason to celebrate on Saturday night following Gillingham's victory against Aldershot.

The Gills manager saw his team win 4-0 to go six points clear at the top of League 2, and his son Charlie scored his first senior goal.

And the pre-match team-talk centred on the news that Allen’s dog, Monty, underwent a successful operation to remove a cancerous tumour. Even a sickness and diarrhoea bug, that had afflicted Allen and several of the team, wasn’t getting in the way.

He said: "This must be great for all the Gillingham supporters. It must be fantastic for all the players and I can’t lie; it’s a brilliant feeling.

"Monty has got the all-clear from cancer. He had a tumour taken out of his ribs and that was the team talk. How mad is that? All the players clapped and I just told them how happy I was and said ‘now go out and give me a nice happy afternoon’."

It got off to the perfect start as 20-year-old Charlie Allen netted his first goal in professional football. It was a proud moment for his father. Allen said: "Monty is happy and it was his birthday on Sunday and we took him to the beach.

"The team won, my tummy settled down and you have to say the boy’s done us proud. It was a magical moment for me as a dad and for me as a manager. All the family will be absolutely delighted.

"You have to hold your hands up to him. How difficult must it be for him to have me as a dad and then having me as a manager? How hard must it be for that boy?

"To come back like he has done, after he got kicked out of Brentford at a young age and then let go from Notts County, I don’t think there is a person that has seen Gillingham play who can deny he deserves a place in the team."

How good a player can Charlie Allen become? Have your say below.