Manager Neil Harris knows it might take summer recruit Ashley Nadesan some time to adapt at Gillingham.

Striker Nadesan has joined from League 2 rivals Crawley for an undisclosed fee and started in Gills’ 1-0 weekend friendly victory against National League Dagenham & Redbridge.

More: Gills defender leaves for League 2 rivals

The 28-year-old reunites with Tom Nichols, the pair having worked together in west Sussex, but neither got on the scoresheet in their first outing back together.

Harris said: “I was a centre-forward so I know what it’s like trying to build a partnership.

“They don’t need to learn about each others’ games because they know it inside out. Other players have to learn about them as a combination.

“They can talk through it and walk through it, and show them clips. But it’s not the same as seeing them on the pitch.

“I thought it was a really positive start for both of them. Both are disappointed they didn’t score on Saturday, they both should have scored, [but] let’s hope they’re saving them for this weekend.”

Harris admitted there were partnerships he needed to see in action, with Max Clark and Dom Jefferies linking up well on the left flank.

“It’s important to get the combinations - I, probably, more wanted to see the centre-halves as a combination,” the boss noted. “It was important to see Ethan [Coleman] and Tim Dieng as a combination as well.

“The front four, how they blend. Jayden Clarke, who’s going into his first season, Dom Jefferies, who has only had one full season, and Ashley Nadesan and Tom Nichols.

“They know each other extremely well and they know their strengths. But the rest of the group hasn’t been with them before.

“They were the combinations I needed to see.

“There were loads of positives. I thought it took us 20 minutes to build into the game and, then, we worked out how to play against their shape and I thought we moved the ball really well.

“We got into really dangerous areas. The only disappointment was the lack of clinical nature.”

Gills’ goal, in fact, came as ex-Dover defender Shadrach Ogie found the net from close range. They struggled for goals last term, particularly amid a poor first-half of the season, so any avenue for goals will be welcome.

“It’s huge,” Harris noted. “[Leyton] Orient won the league last year and they won it comfortably.

“Over the course of the season, they were the best team - the second-half of the season, it was us and Stockport. But before that, Orient were comfortably the best team, them and Stevenage, and overall, over the course of the season, Orient deserved to win the league.

“I don’t think they had a player score more than 10 goals. It goes to show the importance of a clean-sheet mentality, like we had on Saturday, but also what can happen if four or five players chip in with double figures.

“If we can find that one player that gets to the 15 or 20-goal mark, that’s a real bonus because, ultimately, that’s what got Northampton over the line with Sam Hoskins.

“It’s really important for us to find an individual that’s a natural goalscorer.

“But if you don’t have that in your team, then it’s important you have got four or five that chip in with the goals.

“That could be wide players, midfielders, strikers and centre-halves. It’s really important they get on the scoresheet.”