Gillingham assistant boss Richard Dobson predicts better returns from their attacking players after fielding a new-look forward line last weekend.

Summer signings Seb Palmer-Houlden and Sam Vokes both made their first league starts for the Gills in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Cheltenham Town.

Neither managed to make the numerous chances count, but Dobson is confident they soon will.

“We’ve got good forward players, [we’re] really happy with the players we’ve got up top,” said Dobson.

“We will score goals with these boys, that [game] was an anomaly. It’s tough sometimes in football.

“Scoring goals is the hardest thing, and that’s why the goalscorers and creative players are paid the most money.

“Those types of players don’t tend to sit in League 2 very often. They get moves up the ladder fairly quickly. With Seb and Vokesy back, hopefully they’ll be the goalscorers that we need.

“It’s a really good pair, an older head [in Vokes] and a younger lad [in Palmer-Houlden] who’s enthusiastic, but bright as well. He doesn’t play like a 21-year-old. He’s a clever player.

“I thought they combined really well. They gave us a threat.

“We were an aerial threat through Vokes. Then we’ve got Seb who can run down the side. He’s also pretty good in the air.

“Whichever way you try and defend against us with those two, it becomes very tough.

“It’s a real shame that we haven’t had them so far in the season, because it would have been really good to dovetail them, Elliott Nevitt, Josh Andrews and Marcus Wyllie, and have a real mixture of people to apply pressure.

“I think we’ve got some really good players at the top end of the pitch. We will score goals.

“It would have been nice to rotate more. We’ve flogged Elliott and Josh with the amount of game-time they’ve had so far in the season, purely because of the situation with Seb and Vokesy.”

Palmer-Houlden missed the start of the season through injury and Vokes was also out with a broken arm.

Gillingham had suffered back-to-back league defeats before their last-gasp equaliser last Saturday ensured it wasn’t extended to three.

Nevitt struck in stoppage time, netting his first of the season after being left out of the starting line-up due to the switch in attack.

“I was delighted for him,” said Dobson. “He’s frustrated that he hasn’t hit the back of the net as much as he would have liked, but when the ball was bobbling around the penalty box we just needed someone with a calm finish. Fortunately, he found the corner.”

The Gills are away to Grimsby Town this Saturday and Dobson will remain in charge while manager Gareth Ainsworth recovers from heart surgery, offering his input as and when he can.

Big striker Andrews comes back into the mix after his one-game suspension last weekend.

Dobson added: “It’s a nice problem to have with the players coming back to fitness and they’ll get sharper and sharper with every game.

“The ones sat on the bench will be chomping at it a bit to come on and make an impact and that can only be good for us.

“If they’re all fit, I’m looking forward to seeing the partnerships develop.”

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