Striker Joe Quigley got a goal on his return to the Gillingham starting 11 on Saturday and hopes it helps keep him there.

The 20-year-old wants minutes on the pitch – it’s the reason he joined on loan from Premier League Bournemouth – and goals are only going to help.

His 67th-minute effort on Saturday was his first for the Gills and first in the Football League.

The striker said: “It’s a nice time for it to come, in a big game.

“I would have preferred to have started scoring from the moment I got here but if I was going to pick a game, then that would be the one.

“The last four games haven’t gone to plan (the Gills had lost their last four before the weekend draw with Millwall) but the gaffer gave me my chance. Hopefully, I have taken it and I can stay in the side.

“I hadn’t scored before so that might have been one of the reasons for leaving me out, so to get a goal was nice.”

Quigley was sidelined for six months this season with an ACL injury to his knee while on loan with the Gills back in August.

He hadn’t made an appearance in Gills’ last three games – since the 4-0 defeat to Bolton – but knows the recovery from a long-term injury isn’t easy.

He said: “After such a long time out it does take time to get sharp, some games you show up and some games you feel leggy.

“Hopefully, I can build on that and the team can build on it and take it to the last four games. That (result) will give us good confidence going into the games coming up.”