Watford midfielder Dan Phillips makes first start for Gillingham under Neil Harris

Gillingham midfielder Dan Phillips is ready for another battle after emerging unscathed from a weekend win at Lincoln City.

The Watford loanee was on the end of a heavy challenge just before the break, earning home player Ted Bishop a booking. Thankfully Phillips managed to step out of the way as Bishop slid in with studs showing.

“I think it was a bit of a foul,” said the Gills man when asked to comment on the challenge against Lincoln. “I can’t tell for sure but it was a bit high on the leg. I will be fine.”

Bolton are up next for the Gills, heading to Priestfield this Saturday.

He won’t want to miss that match, which will see Phillips and his team-mates coming up against their former captain Kyle Dempsey in the middle of the park for visitors Bolton.

Commenting on meeting his former skipper, Phillips grinned as he said: “We are looking forward to it! I am not sure he is but I am looking forward to it.” But he insisted: “Every game is the same for us, it doesn’t matter who it is.”

The Gills are moving towards safety on current form and Phillips enjoyed three points at Lincoln on Saturday.

“It was an excellent team performance from start to finish,” he said. “Defensively we were resolute, they rarely troubled us. It was a deserved three points and something to build on for the rest of the season.

“We are a team that like to frustrate, that like to bully teams as such, but we also have quality on the ball and we have shown it.

“Right from the start we saw they were there for the taking and we could have been one or two up at half-time [the Gills hit the post and had one off the line early on]. We kept going, persevered and got the win in the end.”

Vadaine Oliver put the Gills ahead with 15 minutes left and any fears of a