Verdict: Doncaster Rovers chief Darren Ferguson targets nap hand of home games

Manager Darren Ferguson felt they should have won at a blustery MEMS Priestfield Stadium before setting his sights on the run-in.

“I’m delighted to get a point to reach that 50-point mark with seven games left to play, with five of them at home and we have to make that count,” said the Rovers chief, whose side have lost just once in their last six games.

“Given the first half we had, we feel we should be coming away with three points and even with the chances we had in the second period we should have won the game. We haven’t really been tested and we limited them to one shot on target.”

Midfielder Tommy Rowe threatened for Rovers, most notably when he dragged a low, right-footed effort inches past the post shortly after the break. He had earlier tested goalkeeper Tomas Holy with a powerful strike.

Alfie Beestin shot over after leading a counter-attack from midfield and Niall Mason later fired straight at Holy from 15 yards as both sides were forced to settle for a point.

Conor Wilkinson missed Gillingham’s best chances but they still ended a run of three successive defeats.

Striker Wilkinson headed onto the roof of the net from Bradley Garmston’s cross and the 23-year-old also dispossessed Rovers goalkeeper Marko Marosi but was unable to fire into the empty net from a difficult angle after 35 minutes.

Gillingham: Holy, Ehmer, Zakuani, Nugent, Wagstaff, Hessenthaler, Byrne, Garmston, Nasseri (Moussa 46), Wilkinson (List 73), Murphy (Eaves 46). Unused substitutes: Lacey, Ogilvie, Reilly, Hadler.

Doncaster Rovers: Marosi, Blair (Kongolo 81), Wright, Baudry, Mason, Whiteman, McCullough (Butler 83), Rowe, Coppinger, Beestin (May 73), Marquis. Unused substitutes: Lawlor, Williams, Boyle, Ben Khemis.

Referee: L Collins (Surrey).