Matchwinner Charlie Lee sent Gillingham six points clear of the League 1 drop zone – but was only on the pitch for his long throws.

Midfielder Lee joined the action as an 81st-minute substitute against Crawley on Saturday as Gills boss Peter Taylor looked for another way to break the deadlock.

Six minutes later, he met Leon Legge’s flick to score the only goal in front of the Rainham End as Gillingham ended a run of three defeats.

But Taylor admitted: “The reason I sent him on was because of the urgency of his long throw.

“I just thought that could be the last throw of the dice to put them under pressure that way.

“In the end he wasn’t involved with any long throws but he was certainly involved with a good finish and he did well to keep it down.”

Lee’s introduction paid off in a way Taylor hadn’t expected but his strike meant everything to the Gills boss after a tense afternoon that saw Crawley waste a several chances.

Taylor added: “You just don’t know what’s going to happen. That’s the beauty of the game. You haven’t got a clue.”

Taylor praised Gills fans for their part in the victory and says they were right to question the side at times.

He said: “The fans were fantastic. Honestly, they were helpful in every way.

“Even to the point of maybe having a pop at a player or at me, or whatever. It’s not a problem. In some ways that gets players going.

“Not that I’d recommend having a pop at all the players all the time but every now and again, it’s not a problem at all.”