Gillingham manager Mark Bonner discusses the growing impact of substitutes and how they’ve played an important role for his team so far this season

Gillingham have made good use of their substitutes to impact games in the early weeks of the season - something boss Mark Bonner highlighted this week.

Bonner agrees that substitutes - or game-changers as some managers like to refer to them - are having a bigger impact on games nowadays.

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As pointed out by Bonner this week in his pre-match press conference, seven of their nine league goals have been scored by players called into action from off the bench.

It’s an area where Bonner feels the better teams hold the ace cards.

The Gills manager, whose side face Notts County today, said: “We've started games relatively well in the main. Seven of our nine goals have come from substitutes, so we're finishing games and their impact's been excellent. We need to continue that.

“I think games are longer. There was a 100-minute game at the weekend (when the Gills beat Tranmere).

“Ball-in-play time's higher with the introduction of multi-ball. Five subs has made a difference. You see more subs at half-time than ever because it gives you your fourth opportunity to make subs.

“Concussion subs allows you to make even more if you use them.

“There's just more subs than ever and certainly when you're in stronger teams, you've got more players that you can put on the pitch to make a difference.”

Jayden Clarke and Marcus Wyllie came off the bench last weekend for the Gills, adding fresh energy and ideas, the pair combining twice to finish Tranmere off with two late goals.

George Lapslie came off the bench to score the winner at Morecambe.

Bonner continued: “I think teams are really well-coached. I think the access to statistics, data, analysis is more than it's ever been. Going into games,