By Luke Cawdell

Gillingham will be going out to end the year on a high on Monday and boss Mark Stimson is hoping the players give him a birthday gift to remember.

Stimson (pictured) was 42 on Sunday and after the Gills lost to Brentford the day before, he’s now hoping his team can recover quickly to make it a first away win of the season, at Exeter.

Stimson said: "I didn’t get my birthday present from the boys on Saturday but hopefully on Monday I will and it will be a great trip back.

"We are looking forward to the second half of the season. In every game you need the rub of the green and I don’t think we had any against Brentford."

The Gills are just four points outside the relegation places and Stimson added: "If it was the end of the season now and we finished above the bottom four, we would have progressed.

"We obviously want to finish higher and if we can get a few players back and in the side on a regular basis, then
we have more chance of collecting points."

Gillingham will hope to benefit from the pace of Simeon Jackson and Febian Brandy, who have yet to play together as a strike pairing away from home.

Stimson said: "If they are both available, they have a good chance of starting because they will cause problems.

"If you get balls in and around their feet you can see they both have good movement and a good touch."