Gillingham midfielder Dean Parrett was thrown straight back into action at the weekend.

Parrett was back available on Saturday after more than a month out with a hamstring injury and boss Steve Lovell wasn’t looking to ease him back slowly.

His performance in the heart of midfield was one of the highlights on what was a frustrating day overall against Rochdale.

Lovell said: “I thought he did really well, particularly in the first half.

“It was his first game since the second game of the season and I obviously had (next) Saturday in my mind which is why he came off (with just seven minutes of normal time remaining). He had run himself into the ground.

“We were 3-0 down at the time and I needed to make sure he didn’t do anything silly, ready for next week. I thought he did very well in the middle of midfield.”

It was only a third appearance of the season for Parrett, the summer signing playing in the wins against Accrington and Burton in the opening fortnight.

He wasn’t the only one to get praise from the manager, who said: “I thought Barry Fuller and Bradley Garmston did good jobs at full-backs, Mark Byrne kept going, as did Dean Parrett and Callum Reilly.

“Those players have done well for me. Callum never gave up. He kept going, but you can’t only have four or five performing, can you?

“When we have won games in the past I have come off and said I couldn’t name a man of the match because they were all brilliant. Unfortunately the last few weeks I haven’t been able to say that.

"It has to be addressed this week.”