Goalkeeper Stuart Nelson scored the winning penalty for Gillingham in his 100th game for the club.

And the 33-year-old, who was returning to the side for the first time since the opening day of the season due to injury, could barely contain his joy after Tuesday night's win over Colchester.

He said: “It may be the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy but that is magic for me. I worked so hard when I was injured and you do it for days like these.

“The team dug in to get us to penalties. We didn’t play well in the first half and we got a bit of a rocket off the gaffer for not doing enough – and rightly so. In the second half, we took it to penalties and won, so happy days.”

After the match had finished 3-3, Nelson saved two penalties in the shoot-out and then took Gillingham’s fourth.

He said: “I had to nip in for the loo (before the penalty shoot-out) and when I was in there I was thinking, ‘I better not lose my place, I want to put my name forward (to take a penalty)’.

“When I came out they were still divvying up the names. I was determined to take one and it was down to the manager. He put me in.

“I was meant to be the fifth penalty taker but the boys told me to take the fourth and I wasn’t going to turn that down.”

By then the Gills were 3-2 ahead and one more goal would win it.

But Nelson said: “I didn’t actually know it was the winning one, otherwise I would have run to the four corners of the empty stands.”

Winning the game, however, wasn’t as important as making his century appearance for the Gills.

He said: “There are a lot of things important to me. Winning the game is important but to turn out 100 times for a great team like Gillingham is special. I have had a great time here and I have always had the backing of the fans. They have been different class."