Gills boss Steve Lovell said striker Tom Eaves was too honest on Saturday.

The club’s leading scorer went through on goal late on but stayed on his feet when challenged in the box.

Had he gone down, he would have given referee Neil Hair a big decision to make.

Lovell was in no doubt what he should have done.

“Tom went through and he got clipped but he’s too honest, if he goes down it is a penalty,” said Lovell.

“That is the way we are, we are an honest bunch and sometimes it works against you.”

Eaves, who did later get on the scoresheet after heading home for the Gills, admitted as much.

He said: “Second half I got around the keeper and I should have gone down, I shouldn’t have tried to stay on my feet so hard.”

And if it happened again?

“I probably wouldn’t try and stay up,” he said.

But Eaves said it was a tough call to make in that moment.

He said: “I could go down, the ref doesn’t give the pen and it’s a chance wasted and it’s on my head.

“You have a split second to make these decisions, so next time I won’t try so hard to stay up, lessons learned!”

And the Gills manager probably won’t be the only one telling him to go down.

“I am sure my dad will tell me,” said Eaves. “He was there watching.”

“I was a bit too honest in staying on my feet.”