Steve Lovell was delighted with the “massive 45 minutes” that his team produced on Saturday.

They survived a tough first half against bottom side Bradford before turning it on after the break.

Regan Charles-Cook put them ahead three minutes after the restart and there was no looking back from then on, as Bradford fell apart.

Match report and more pictures from Gills' 4-0 win.

Lovell said: “Goals change games and give you confidence. They didn’t take their chances, which is the first bit of luck we have had all year really.

“They could have been 2-0 up and then it’s a mountain to climb for us but we took control second half and it was a massive 45 minutes for us.”

The Gills boss was able to recall Charles-Cook and Brandon Hanlan after they had recovered from injury and put Billy Bingham back in the starting eleven following his return to fitness.

He also handed youngster Darren Oldaker a first league start of the season and Lovell admitted it took them a while to settle.

Lovell said: “The three of them (those returning back from injury) took their time to get into the game, they were finding their feet. DJ (Oldaker) grew into the game as it went on, he had a fantastic game, as they all did.

“This was a team that was close to the one that started the season and the ones that we brought into the football club. I think they will only get better. Regan hasn’t played for a long time, same as Brandon and Billy, and it was DJ’s first game this season.”

The Gills were second best in the first half, against a Bradford side with just one win in 11 before the weekend but Lovell knew his side could get on top, despite their own struggles of late.

“We were giving them too much time,” he said.

“When players are trying to find their feet they don’t know how far to go. I had this worry how they would approach the game but I had to take a chance on players because I needed them in the team.

“At half time I said we had to play in their faces and second half, that is what we did. We won the ball off them and when we did that we were at them.

“When we had our good spell last year, that’s how we started this season, we press from the front and really have a go at teams. We haven’t done that because of the personnel we have had in the side.

“This is the way I want to play, I want to press from the front. It is exciting and we have got people who can win the ball further up the pitch and create things and we showed that.”

The Gills won the game 4-0 but had many more chances, with Eaves having a penalty saved and hitting the woodwork.

Lovell said: “We created so many chances in the second half. I said to the players football is hard work. If you work hard and put people under pressure then they can’t play. If you allow anyone to play they can play football, if you give them time.

“The last few weeks we have sat off teams and it hasn’t worked, it is not our game, we have the energy in midfield to go and press people.”