John Egan scored twice in a game for the first time on Saturday.

But his joy turned to disappointment after Port Vale snatched a stoppage-time equaliser.

He said: “I am happy to get the two goals. It is good to help the team out and try and get the win but it takes the gloss off when they score at the end.

“Last week we score in the last minute to get a draw and everyone is buzzing and it feels like a win. This week we concede in the last minute, we get the same result, but it feels like a loss. That’s football.

“I thought we were having some luck, when they hit the bar, but there was a freak bounce that deceived Nelson and there was nothing he could do about it.”

Egan struck the equalising goal to cancel out Dany N’Guessan’s opener, smashing the ball home into the bottom corner from 30 yards.

It was the Irishman’s second professional goal of his career – but it wasn’t his best.

“A 30 yard volley was my (first goal) and I probably won’t score a better one that that,” he said.

“That was for Southend at Scunthorpe and that was a 2-2 draw as well. Both games I’ve scored it’s been 2-2.

“I have that in my locker. I can hit the ball. I can step in and strike a ball from distance and hopefully I can get a few more. That’s my best goal for Gillingham at least.”

His second goal was a header from a corner.

“As long as I score a goal, I don’t care if it’s a tap-in or a 30-yard strike,” he said.

“I have been getting on the end of a few headers this season and they haven’t quite gone for me. This time it did and so I am happy.”

That goal wasn’t enough, however.

He said: “If you can get the third goal, you can kill the other team off. That kills any luck. But it wasn’t to be.”