Gillingham assistant manager Paul Raynor hailed the team’s fighting spirit after a 2-1 win over Doncaster Rovers.

The Gills had to come from a goal down to go infront and then survived a few hairy moments against the 10-man opposition.

Report: Gillingham 2 Doncaster 1

Raynor said: “It wasn’t a vintage performance, it was a gritty performance, we had to grind it out to a certain extent and credit to Doncaster, I thought they played some great stuff, even with 10 men.

“They are a very good side, a good footballing team, Darren (Moore, the Doncaster manager) has done a great job with them and we are just absolutely delighted to come away with three points.

“There were crucial goals at crucial times and the sending off had a big say in how it panned out, but we’re just proud of the boys, they are getting the rewards for the hard work they are putting in and to be 13 unbeaten at this stage of the season is a fantastic effort.

“We know what the character of our boys is, we have shown that all season and in the last couple of months we have shown that hard work pays off.

“It was horrible out there (because of the wind and rain) but you have to give credit to Doncaster, they are a very good side, they play some terrific football, under difficult circumstances with 10 men. They are always a threat and we were very wary of that.

“We were delighted to come away with three points. Anybody who takes four points off Doncaster this season (the Gills drew 1-1 with them at the start of the season) will have done very well.”

The Gills had gone behind to Ben Sheaf’s 13th minute goal.

Raynor said: “We conceded a poor goal defensively, even though it was a good strike from their guy.

"We should have dealt with it, he shouldn’t be free in and around the edge of our box, but it was a great strike.”

The Gills levelled following Tom O’Connor’s inswinging corner shortly after a red card for Doncaster’s Feji Okenabirhie after a challenge on Barry Fuller.

On the red card, Raynor said: “It looked as though maybe he swung at him but nobody wants to think that he has deliberately gone and elbowed someone.

“I think he looked to feel where Barry was and he caught him with his elbow. We don’t know if he did it deliberately or not, only he will know, but it looked pretty obvious to us.”

It was an own-goal from Cameron John that won it for the Gills as he turned in Jordan Roberts’ cross.

“Jordan has been excellent since he came in,” said the Gills no.2.

“He is a tireless worker and he is getting his rewards. He is really enjoying the game time he is getting and he is enjoying playing a part in what we are trying to do. It was a fantastic ball.

“It was unfortunate for their guy but the quality of the ball gave the defender nightmares, he didn’t know how to deal with it, it bounced off him and into the net.”

Doncaster went for broke late on, leading to an open finish and Gills keeper Jack Bonham had to turn over a free-kick deep into stoppage time.

“It was a bit too open,” Raynor said.

“I didn’t like it when Ben Whiteman had that free-kick at the end there. He is someone we know very well from our time at Mansfield, he came to us for six months .

“We know he has it in his locker to bend that into the top corner, it was a slight concern, but we saw that one out and it was three massive points for us.”