GILLINGHAM manager Andy Hessenthaler acclaimed Simon Osborn as the club's finest free transfer after the midfielder's third goal of the season paved the way for Saturday's 2-0 win at Preston.

The former Crystal Palace and Wolves midfielder had been in limbo following a dispute with an agent when Hessenthaler brought him to Priestfield after Tranmere and then Port Vale had shown him the door. Many supporters believe his injection into the midfield coincided with an upturn in the team's performances and his manager was not about to argue after his contribution at Deepdale.

"He's the best free we've brought to the club and he's done fantastically well for us," said Hessenthaler. "I knew Simon from playing against him when he was at Wolves and Crystal Palace and I knew he was a good footballer. He was one we were looking at the start of the season but we weren't sure.

"In the end I just felt we needed someone different in midfield. We've got a lot of battlers in midfield, a lot of players who can break things up but we didn't have someone who could calm us down and I felt he could do that job for us. He's done that and much, much more."

But Hessenthaler was quick to emphasise the entire team's performance in returning the club to winnings ways after successive defeats against Sheffield United and Crystal Palace had knocked confidence. The win put Gillingham on 42 points - eight short of the target the Gills boss has declared will be good enough to guarantee Division 1 football next season.

"We slipped up and we needed to bounce back and we did just that," he added. " I thought we did exceptionally well as a team because Preston are a good footballing side with some good players."