GILLINGHAM rose four places in the Nationwide Division 1 table after a gutsy 3-1 win against Stoke.

A delighted player-boss Andy Hessenthaler was full of praise for his side and said: “We got what we deserved. We have jumped up the table to 14th and psychologically that is good for us. It's now 10 points out of a possible 18 this month and I’m pleased with that.

“I thought with the wind and rain it wasn’t going to be pretty and at times it probably wasn’t, but we got it down, tried to pass the ball and that was when we were at our most dangerous.”

Gillingham played some of their best football of the season and were rewarded with goals from Paul Shaw, Chris Hope and Mamady Sidibe.

Hessenthaler added: “We worked the ball well for the first goal and Paul has got into the position where we like him to be and he tucked it away nicely.

“Then we scored at a fantastic time for the second from a set piece but we said at half-time 2-0 is always a dangerous scoreline and the result could hinge on the next goal.

“They got it and it was a bit nervy towards the end, then fortunately we got the third goal and it was all over.”

In the opposing dug out was Tony Pulis, the man who signed Hessenthaler during his time as Gills boss in the late 90s. Hessenthaler said: “We knew what Tony was about and that he would make it difficult for us.

"They played with one down the middle and two wide and got it up to them quickly.

“We had to match them for their spirit and certainly did that. All in all it was a good performance from us and a good three points which we needed.”

With Marlon King now a Nottingham Forest player, Hessenthaler has thrown down the gauntlet to 23-year-old Kevin James to prove his worth up front instead of his usual midfield role.

With Rod Wallace injured and Sidibe unavailable for all January and part of February because of international commitments, James has the perfect opportunity to stake a claim for a regular first-team spot.

Hessenthaler said: “The boy has got sheer pace and ability. He needs to focus on being a forward for us and we are going to work with him playing in that position.”