Gillingham manager Neil Harris is fulfilling the promise he made to striker Tom Nichols.

Harris told the 29-year-old forward that he would bring more goals to his game and it’s been so far, so good, with two in two for the Gills.

Nichols took 39 minutes to get off the mark on his Gillingham debut against Hartlepool United last weekend and doubled his tally with the team’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Colchester United on Saturday.

He had scored four goals in his 23 appearances for Crawley Town before his switch to the Gills at the end of December.

His best seasons on the goal-front came in 2014/15 at Exeter, with 15 goals, and he matched that again in the 2020/21 campaign for Crawley. He had previously netted 13 in a season for League 1 Peterborough. Harris is confident he can get the best out of the all-action front-man.

Harris said: “He has done great, considering he hadn’t played football for five weeks, when we started him last week, he made 80 minutes and he got to almost 70 this week. We are really pleased with him.

“He is just a goal threat. I promised him when he came in that I would get him more goals and I just know what he can do with his game. I know how I can improve him. It’s a start for Tom.”

Harris is also hoping others chip in and from what he’s seen in training, he’s sure that will happen. The Gills scored six goals in their first 21 league games but have bagged four in their last two.

The Gills boss said: “The importance is centre forwards scoring goals but us chipping in from other positions as well. Tim Dieng, Dom Jefferies and George Lapslie scored about 14 goals in training between them in small sided games on Friday, we have got goals from all over the pitch.”

They also have someone who is providing the assists. Three of those last four goals have come from balls into the box from Alex MacDonald.

While newcomers keep arriving, the experienced midfielder has lifted his game with quality players around him.

Harris said: “He is a top end of the pitch player and when we get him in the right areas of the pitch he has quality. His delivery in training on Thursday and Friday was a joke, that comes from confidence in his play.

“A big moment for me was when I took Alex off last Saturday against Hartlepool with fans singing his name as he came off. It doesn’t matter what age you are, when the fans show appreciation like that in your performance then that is going to sit well with you.”

Harris could have taken MacDonald out of the team at Colchester as he went with wing-backs, but trusted his experienced campaigner to slot into a different role. He didn’t let the manager down.

“Macca is a good leader and I wanted him on the pitch,” Harrs said. “I wanted him on the pitch for those moments of quality.”