Gillingham striker Oli Hawkins ran towards the home fans at Bradford City after scoring the equalising goal in the League 2 match at Valley Parade

Oli Hawkins was thrilled to have scored Gillingham’s injury-time equaliser at Bradford - even more so after receiving stick before coming off the bench.

The big striker netted in the seventh of the eight minutes of stoppage-time at Valley Parade to hush a big crowd who had seen their side fight back from a goal down. A point did Bradford’s automatic promotion hopes no favours.

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“It was a good feeling,” said the 31-year-old, who had extra hunger in his belly after getting some stick. “A few of them had been giving me stick when I was warming up, I made it my job to run back to a couple of them that were giving it to me (after scoring). I was happy to keep them quiet.

“They are obviously fighting to get promoted automatically or a good position in the play-offs. We are happy to have interrupted that.”

Hawkins was introduced with the game poised at 1-1 with the task of getting a winner but after Andy Cook’s 84th minute penalty - his second of the match - it turned into a rescue mission. The Gills had gone from one-up in the first half to 2-1 down after the break.

Hawkins scored his third goal of the season after being well-placed following Cheye Alexander’s late corner as the game ended 2-2.

“It was similar to the goal I scored at Rochdale,” he said of the equaliser. “Get infront of the man, make contact with it and hope it goes in! Luckily I made a good enough and strong enough contact to make it go in.

“I was delighted it was the equaliser and we were able to get a point. It was a great feeling.

“I had been watching on the bench and the first half was one of the best I’ve seen us, we were really good, really organised. We could have been two or three up. We really dominated that