GILLINGHAM 1 BRISTOL ROVERS: Rhys Evans has been little more than a bit-part player since joining Bristol Rovers last summer.

The keeper, making only his second league outing for the Pirates, was less than a minute away from keeping a clean sheet when his afternoon was ruined deep into stoppage-time.

A few minutes beforehand, Evans had done well to get a touch on a shot from Gillingham substitute Simeon Jackson – making just enough contact to steer it against a post.

But he was not so fortunate in the dying seconds when the Gills marksman turned to fire home a last-gasp winner.

Evans has been kept on the bench by the consistent form of Danish shot-stopper Mikkel Andersen for most of the campaign. But the roles were reversed this time with the on-loan Reading player suffering from illness.

"It's been very frustrating having to sit on the bench for a large part of the season," said Evans.

"To come so close to keeping a clean sheet in difficult circumstances was devastating. We nearly saw it through.

"We defended well for 99 per cent of the game, but that will get forgotten about now because of the result.

"Defensively it was a good performance, offensively maybe not so good because we didn't manage to create a great deal, which was a disappointment."

Chances for either side were a rarity in the opening period until just before the break, when former Rovers loanee Chris Dickson set up strike-partner Renee Howe, who blazed his shot over the top from seven yards.

But Rovers, looking a very different side to the one that had showed such gusto in beating Charlton five days earlier, were forced to soak up long spells of Gillingham pressure as the second half progressed.

Though Andy Williams headed a decent chance wide from eight yards, opportunities in the second period belonged almost exclusively to the home side.

Danny Jackman was not far away with a 20-yard free-kick, and then provided a cross which Dickson glanced just the wrong side of an upright.

But it was Gillingham's three substitutes who started to look as though they might provide the breakthrough the home side had been persistently denied by a mixture of good defending and poor finishing.

Jackson hooked over the top from seven yards after Andy Barcham had headed the ball back across goal, then Dennis Oli's cross just evaded the leaping Dickson by inches.

When Jackson hit the post and Barcham shanked a good chance over the top, it looked as though Rovers might hold out for an unwarranted point.

But the Gills' leading scorer had other ideas, leaving Evans to reflect on what might have been.

"For me, today was all about trying to get myself through the game and do as well as I could," he said.

"I was reading an interesting piece in one of the papers at our hotel before the game about sports psychology for players who have been out for a long time, which related to the situation I was in.

"It was about keeping your expectations at a realistic level and I tried to make sure I didn't get too carried away and didn't try to do absolutely everything.

"As a keeper you obviously have to let the game come to you, although I try and communicate and get involved as much as I can.

"Being a goalkeeper is probably something people can't relate to unless they've actually done it themselves. Any mistake you make is likely to be costly

"There were some things I was disappointed with, but having not played for so long and having hardly any reserve games either, I'm fairly happy."

If the antibiotics do their stuff, Andersen could well be restored to the starting line-up against Exeter City tomorrow, as Rovers look to reverse a diabolical away run which has seen their winless streak on opposition soil extended to 11 games.

"I have a great relationship with Mikkel – probably the best I've had with another goalkeeper at a club," added Evans.

"There's no issue between us whatsoever."

"But I read what the manager said a little while ago in that if you do well, you will keep your place – so it will be interesting to see what happens now.

"I played at Exeter for Bradford last season and it's a difficult place to go.

"We have the capability to go there and win, but it's just a case of which Bristol Rovers team turns up."