Tom Nichols goal moves Gillingham closer to safety

Gillingham moved closer to securing their Sky Bet League Two status as Tom Nichols hit the winner in a 1-0 victory over Doncaster.

Neil Harris’ side are now nine points above the relegation zone with just six games remaining.

Buoyed by winning seven of their previous eight matches at Priestfield, the Gills twice came close to scoring in the opening 10 minutes.

An unmarked Nichols failed to hit the target six yards out, then Charlie Seaman’s defensive header landed on the roof of his own net.

Glenn Morris made a fine save to prevent Ben Close firing the visitors ahead with a neatly struck effort on 15 minutes.

The visitors came even closer shortly before half-time when Ben Nelson’s deflected header crashed back off the underside of the crossbar.

Nichols made amends for his earlier miss as he met Oli Hawkins’ flicked header to spectacularly volley the hosts in front a minute before the break – a breakthrough which was to prove decisive.

Close ended a slick move by shooting straight at Morris late on for the visitors, who fell to their seventh defeat in 10 games.