Steve Lovell hailed Mark Byrne’s strike against Bristol Rovers on Saturday as one of the best he’s seen at Priestfield.

And the former Gills frontman, now manager, knows a decent finish when he sees one.

Byrne volleyed home Lee Martin’s corner in front of the Rainham End with a crisp finish to put the Gills 4-0 ahead and Lovell said: “It was a goal-of-the-season contender that, one of the best I have seen at Priestfield.

“It is the technique needed from a corner like that, a ball into him and running onto it on the volley. Mark has thoroughly deserved that.

“It shows the confidence of the players. It was a fantastic goal, a great strike.”

Lovell has volleyed home a few himself, recalling efforts at Doncaster, Lincoln and Portsmouth, but admitted Byrne’s was better than the lot.

He said: “If that was someone for Chelsea scoring, or Man City, then people would have been raving about it. It was a world-class goal.

“Whether it be an Arsenal, Chelsea or Man City player, it takes some talent and technique to finish that off. It was a wonder goal. It is the best I have seen this year without a doubt.”

The Gills boss just wished that Byrne could have finished it off with a hat-trick goal. The Irishman, with two goals to his name, fired a penalty wide in the second half.

Lovell said: “He has been brilliant for us and I am just gutted he didn’t get his hat-trick.”