Goalkeeper Stuart Nelson admitted he was in too much pain to celebrate his game-changing save against MK Dons on Saturday.

Nelson saved Dean Bowditch’s penalty with his toe in first-half injury-time at Priestfield.

Cody McDonald then won the game with a goal in the second half, while Nelson is now nursing a swollen ankle following his efforts.

“My ankle is paying the penalty for it now,” said the in-form keeper.

“I struggled in the second half and it is pretty sore. The ball caught me right on the end of my toe and it bent my ankle right back.

“My ligaments down the front of my foot were stretched. I wouldn’t say there is any major damage but I’ll probably have a bit of pain for the next couple of weeks. It will need some ice to keep the swelling down.

“I couldn’t hear anything other than my ankle screaming at me (when I made the save). When I saved against Charlton I was celebrating but there was no celebration this time, I was just thinking ‘oh my God, my ankle’."

Nelson’s save came right at the end of the half but there was no time to rest – he daren’t.

He said: “I needed to keep it (the ankle) moving and I went into the gym at half-time and went onto the bike. I could feel it swelling up and the physio strapped it to stop it getting more swollen.

“People were asking me if I was going to be okay and I didn’t know. I kept it moving and it eased a bit and that was enough to get me through the game but the boys did so well in front of me. I didn’t have to do anything."