Gillingham keeper Simon Royce believes the players’ togetherness has been a big factor in their current rise up the division.

The Gills recently spent a week in the north-west as they took on Morecambe and Port Vale – an exercise that Royce feels is paying off.

“We’ve got a fantastic changing room now,” said the 37-year-old.

“It was quite a big problem last year. We weren’t all together in the changing room. After the Morecambe game we all had a night out and everybody was together and we had a great time.

“When we went back to work we all did it properly so it really has turned around. It’s probably one of the best changing rooms I’ve been involved in during my career, and I’ve had a long career.

“We went to Morecambe and stayed up there for the five days and it’s paid dividends because we got the two results we wanted at Morecambe and Port Vale. It got all the team together and with three wins now on the trot it’s put us up joint second on goal difference.”

Gillingham got one back on Exeter with a 1-0 win, avenging a defeat earlier in the season, and Royce is looking forward to doing to same to Lincoln tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

“We owed Exeter one as we were terrible up there in the first half,” he said.

“When teams come here who we’ve let ourselves down against, like up at their (Lincoln) place, we think, ‘right, you’re not going to do that again’.

“Gillingham is a fortress and we’ve only lost one game here. People won’t enjoy coming here and Lincoln know they’re going to be in a game.”

Royce, a regular star performer last season, has had a lot less to do this year.

“The less I do the better it is for me and hopefully it can put a few more years on my career,” he said.

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