Max Ehmer was glad to be back in action for the Gills and insisted he had no problems over his recent omission.

The former QPR defender was making his first league appearance since October 10. His last game for the Gills was in the FA Cup first round defeat against Stevenage.

Ehmer said: “It’s frustrating but there is nothing you can do when the team is winning and I was just happy for the boys.

“It’s a team game, a squad game, and people might not have played as much as they would want but Jermaine McGlashan came on and made a real difference (on Monday) and Luke Norris did when he came on.

“The squad is very strong and it’s together.”

Ehmer lost his place in the squad to Cardiff loanee Deji Oshilaja.

“There is competition everywhere,” said the German.

“We all work hard in training and the competitiveness gets us where we want to be.

“The spirit in the dressing room is high, everyone is together, and you can’t moan.”

Ehmer took his opportunity on Monday, helping the side to a clean sheet against a spirited Colchester team at Priestfield.

He said: “It was important to get the three points and the clean sheet is an extra which the whole team has earned and we’re very happy.

“Games against teams down at the bottom are the harder games and so a 1-0 win against Colchester is a very good result.

“We defend as a team and everyone can take credit for the clean sheet, not just the back four, even Dominic Samuel and the other forward players help and we’re very happy to get the clean sheet.

“Colchester have very good attacking players and it was good to keep a clean sheet against them.

“I was happy to come back in at home but the three points were all that mattered and what was important.”

Ehmer took an elbow to the face in the game which led to him missing several minutes of action and ending it with a blackened eye.

“They took a while to get it done but it was quite a deep cut,” he said.

“I was just thinking, ‘get me on, strap me up, whatever, just get me back on’.

“It seemed like I was on the sidelines forever but I think it was only for a few minutes.”