Manager Steve Evans was delighted to see Connor Ogilvie return to form and hit the match-winner for Gillingham on Tuesday night at Peterborough.

Ogilvie fired home the 15th minute winner at London Road to keep Gillingham’s faint play-off hopes alive. He also played a key role in keeping out a glittering Peterborough attack, one that included 30-goal striker Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Evans said: “He has had a little spell over the last few weeks where he has not quite been there. He was very good (on Tuesday).

“His finish was brilliant, on his so-called weaker foot.

“The whole dressing room loves Connor, he is the first and last away, he lives and breathes his football and we are delighted for him.

“He had one or two games where he wasn’t quite himself but I never thought he wasn’t going to play, he is such a good player, he is a top player for this level.”

Evans had threatened changes for Peterborough after defensive errors let Oxford turn around a two-goal deficit at the weekend to win 3-2. In the end he stuck with the same men and it paid off.

Gillingham became only the third team to win a league game at Peterborough this season and only the second team to claim a clean-sheet.

Ogilvie has a habit of scoring winning goals for the Gills, netting the opening goal of the season in a 1-0 League Cup win over Southend United and the winner against MK Dons.

Last season he was netted in 1-0 league victories over Southend, Rochdale and Sunderland.

That win over Sunderland in December 2019 was one that sticks in the memory for Evans, recalling the goal as he remarked on how Tuesday’s game rated in the big wins he’s achieved as Gillingham manager.

Evans said: “We have had better results, I can remember Connor Ogilvie scoring against Sunderland when they came to Gillingham and I can remember a flying Doncaster when they came in the FA Cup. We won 3-0 and it could have been five or six.

“But in terms of performance, when we needed one, we were very good. It is a brilliant result for us.

“Ideally for me Posh will now get promoted, I have no doubt about their quality, hopefully they do.”

None of those goals from Ogilvie will match the stunning volley from outside the box in a 3-2 win over Charlton, however, which has all-but guaranteed he will be keeping the goal-of-the-season trophy for a second year running. That goal in December against Sunderland earned him the accolade from the 2019/20 campaign.

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