Gillingham defender Scott Malone is delighted to have responded to a dip in form with back-to-back match-winning goals.

Malone came off the bench to score the winner at home to Sutton United on Friday and backed that up with the only goal of the game to see off Colchester United on New Year’s Day after returning to the starting eleven. It’s been the ideal way to get back to form.

Malone said: “I am aware that my form dipped a bit over the last two or three weeks but to reply like that, everyone has to, if you have a bump in the road you need to get back on the horse and go again.

“It’s two in two for me and I’m more than happy with that.”

With four goals now to his name this season, he’s the club’s joint top scorer in the league, alongside Connor Mahoney

He said: “Obviously after 25 games for a left-back, left wing-back, to be joint top scorer, that says a lot about what we need to improve on but I will take it.

“My aim for the season was to get near double figures. My best in a season is six or seven and I want to beat that and hopefully everyone else can chip in with a few more.

“It can be frustrating for the management and staff when the team is having so many chances and we’re not scoring goals but all that matters is winning and we’ve now won two out of (the last) two.

“It’s been a good (Christmas) period for us and a thousand fans (at Colchester) to enjoy it with after a booze up for them (the previous night).

“We can get better, we can play better, the pitch didn’t help us. It was heavy, wet, part of it was waterlogged but both teams have to play on it, two clean sheets, two goals, it is my goal, it was a shot, it went in, we are enjoying it at the minute.”

There was a suggestion Malone was meaning to cross the ball and that it took a deflection to send it into the net, but he was claiming it whatever.

Nobody could doubt his intentions of his strike on Friday night against 10-man Sutton which he volleyed into the top corner, off the frame of the goal.

He said: “That’s one of my favourites, technique wise and the sound it made when it hit the net and the importance of the goal.

“Playing against 10 men is difficult, I have been in a game numerous occasions where the opposition go down to 10 and when I’ve gone down to 10, you shut up shop, it’s hard to break down, the importance of the goal and the technique it was nice.

“There is nothing better than scoring. I have scored a fair few in my career but it is always nice. Am I meant to score goals? Probably at wing-back, not at left-back, but it is always nice to hit the net.

“I played wing-back at Millwall for three years and the emphasis is on you to attack more, you’re the only one out wide, you have to come up with goals and assists.”