Gillingham sign Haji Mnoga from Portsmouth and free agent Robbie McKenzie but manager Neil Harris missed out on a striker hours before the transfer window closed

Gillingham manager Neil Harris admitted they were agonisingly close to landing a forward on transfer deadline day.

With centre-back Haji Mnoga and versatile defender Robbie McKenzie already agreed, Harris then had a striker all set to join on loan at 7pm on Thursday night. Five minutes later, they were dealt a blow after the frontman joined a League 1 side.

It’s understood the forward Gills were chasing was Leyton Orient striker Harry Smith, who moved on a season-long loan to Exeter that evening.

The 6ft 6inch Chatham-born forward is well known to the Gills, playing there as a youngster before spells at Sittingbourne and Folkestone preceded a move into the Football League with Millwall, then managed by Harris. Exeter did also announce the arrival of Fulham striker Jay Stansfield on Friday, also joining on loan.

Harris has spoken about the closing of the transfer window, ending a busy summer which saw him make 16 new signings.

“It was absolutely horrendous, that is the best way of summing it up!” said Harris, on the summer window. “It has been a tough four months, I have to be honest, not just for me, for the football club, to re-jig a whole club and a squad, but in many ways I am delighted. I can get on now with the group we have got.

“Yesterday (Thursday) was a rollercoaster, we completed two deals relatively late. We had an attacking player that the club really supported me on, to come in as well, that was done at 7pm but lost to League 1 at five past seven, you could have knocked me down with a feather at that stage.

“We set out to do three, we did two, one we lost out, I have no problems losing out to levels, it happens.

“On the whole it has been a really busy window, obviously you are judged on what you do over a