Gillingham Manager Ronnie Jepson is pleased that his side made it three straight wins with the 3-2 victory over Port Vale at Priestfield.

The Gills cruised to a three-nil lead but conceded two goals in the final 15 minutes and Jepson admitted he was disappointed to see his side take their foot off the pedal: "I was disappointed in the respect that once we got the third goal, we stopped passing the ball.  We started doing things that we shouldn't be doing and our two strikers, they never got hold of the ball for me and passed it simple to enable us to go onto the next stage as we were getting plenty of balls into the box throughout the game.  We just took our foot off the pedal and let them back into the game; I am disappointed with that.  I am pleased though that we scored three goals at home and the amount of pressure we had on them, we could've maybe had one or two more.  I am pleased with the three points.

"The start wasn't all that to be fair but we got to grips with it and then got our goals.  We need to learn how to kill games off a bit more and be more professional in what we do.  I have just told one or two of the lads that.  I thought we played it at a good tempo in the right areas and controlled the game until just after the third goal went in.  You could say it was an end of season game or hot, but you still want people to do their jobs.  We did okay at the start of the second-half.  I'm straight up front and honest with my boys and I've just had a go at them in the changing room.  I wasn't happy with that last 20 minutes.  We worked hard but we started showboating and weren't doing the right things at times to kill them off.

"Port Vale have got a good side and they have got some big lads in there.  They lump the ball up there and play the three up top.  They changed it round to 4-4-2 as they were getting passed to death.  If we had stayed like we were, and kept doing the right things, we would have won the game comfortably.  We worked on them yesterday by doing a bit of team play.  We knew they would go with the three up front so we just kept our back four up against them and they did their job."

Club captain Ian Cox broke the deadlock with a header from Nicky Southall's corner and Jepson was pleased with the finish from the veteran defender but admitted Danny Spiller could've done better with his chance to extend the lead on the stroke of half-time: "It was a good finish from Ian Cox.  We worked on it in training yesterday and it was nice for "Coxy" to get on it.  He deserved a goal for his display today.  Danny Spiller has done well to bring it down but you would expect "Spills" to score from there and send us in at two-nil.  Fair play to him, he's got in there. "

Michael Flynn extended the lead with two goals and Jepson is pleased to see his midfield chip in with a few goals this season: "It was a great ball.  I mentioned at half-time that the quality of balls that we were getting into the box from Clint Easton, Danny Jackman, Nicky Southall and Mark Bentley.  It is a striker's dream and with the third man running in from midfield, as you know it is going to go in there, we've got a couple of goals.

"Michael Flynn has got a few goals and I expect that from my midfield lads.  Andrew Crofts has got a few, so has "Benno" and Matty Jarvis was going along well until his injury.  You expect goals from midfield and we know where we have been let down a little bit this season, in terms of away from home, the back four.  It isn't just those though as they need protection at times.  At the other end of the pitch, they need ball retention so that the ball is not always coming back.  It was today in the last 20 minutes."

Port Vale brought the score back to 3-2 with an injury time penalty and Jepson admitted he agreed with the referee's decision to award the spot kick: "From where I was standing, it looked a penalty to me.  How my lad got booked for winning the ball, I don't know."

Striker Gary Mulligan had missed the last two matches with a thigh injury and lasted 43 minutes in his comeback match but Jepson was full of credit for the Irishman's desire to be back in the team: "Gary Mulligan had a fitness test on Thursday and he was fine.  We had a look at him again yesterday morning but "Mullers" being "Mullers"; he is too brave for his own good at times.  He was making all the right noises and he wanted to play, which is credit to the lad.  The physio has worked hard with him; he passed the fitness test but it's just "Mullers" being a bit daft as he is too brave.  I'd rather have players like that though than the other way.  I'll have a look at him on Monday but he'll probably tell me he is fit, you never know with "Mullers"!  We certainly won't risk him but we were guided by him as he was doing the sprints and doing the turning in training and he wanted to play.  Fair play to him."

New loan signing Simon Royce made his debut and Jepson was pleased with the goalkeeper's performance as well as being full of praise for the two loanees that left Priestfield earlier this week: "Simon Royce did well.  He come and collected a few crosses and he is a good lad; he's not a problem.  He has fitted in straight away with the lads and I am very pleased with him.

"Felix Bastians was smashing.  He came in and was good going forward.  He needs to learn the other side of the game but his fitness levels and strength will build up with the more games that he plays.  Romain Larrieu has been a credit to Plymouth Argyle and he fitted in so well with the lads here.

"Last week at Chesterfield, he was ill on the Wednesday and Thursday before, but he drove up to the team hotel on the Friday night to come and join us and play in the game on Saturday.  He didn't have to do that but it shows you what type of character he is.  I'd just like to thank them both on the record as they were superb for us."