GILLINGHAM'S pursuit of Grimsby's Alan Pouton has ended in success. Providing there are no problems with his medical he is expected to sign a three-year contract.

Pouton met with his new team-mates for the first time at the team's hotel before Saturday's match at Derby. He then watched the 2-1 defeat at Pride Park from the directors' box.

Grimsby manager Paul Groves has made no secret of his disappointment at losing Pouton after his team crashed 5-1 on Saturday at Port Vale.

He said: "The deal was done on a chairman to chairman basis and I had nothing to do with it. Gillingham have signed my team's driving force. Alan Pouton is the Roy Keane of Grimsby Town. He will tackle a brick wall if he has to."

Gillingham coach Wayne Jones said: "We've always been admirers of Alan's and when it became known that his contract was up at the end of the season and he could become available, we were interested."