Stephen Clemence felt his Gillingham side had got “quite a few monkeys off our back” after coming from behind to win for the first time this season – 2-1 at Accrington.

The Gills made it three wins on the bounce and closed in on the play-off places with the victory.

Accrington teenager Alex Henderson opened the scoring in the 50th minute on his first Sky Bet League Two start, heading home Jack Nolan’s free-kick.

Gillingham equalised after 62 minutes when Connor Mahoney’s corner was headed back across at the far post by Ollie Hawkins and Conor Masterson headed home.

Joe Pritchard hit a post for Stanley before Gillingham scored the winner in the 75th minute when Tom Nichols set up substitute Macauley Bonne and he rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

Clemence said: “I’m delighted with the win in a tight game.

“I was disappointed to concede the goal just after half-time but I still believed the boys would come back into it and it’s something we haven’t done this season – to come back and equalise – and then it’s nice when you make substitutions and they help the team.

“I think it’s the first time we have scored two goals away from home this season and come from behind, so we’ve got quite a few monkeys off our back and it will give us confidence going forward.

“It’s nice to put a little run together. The challenge is to have a better second half of the season than first and we’ve made a good start.

“I’m happy with three wins on the spin, to come from behind, we scored two goals away from home for the first time in I don’t know how long, and I’m happy the subs have come on and made a difference.

“We’ve had a sickness bug in the camp and we’ve shown strength and character.”

Stanley have dropped to mid-table, four points off the top seven.

Manager John Coleman said: “Every time you lead and you lose you are disappointed, especially to concede from a set-piece. We know our roles and we have gone to sleep and been punished for the first.

“It was who was going to get the next goal. We hit the post – I still don’t know how that hasn’t gone in – and had a couple of chances.

“That’s been our luck this season, a couple of bounces go their way and they score, but we’ve got to defend it better.

“We haven’t attacked anywhere near like we can. We can play better than that. We didn’t have the same spark we normally have. I don’t think either side deserved to win the game and we certainly didn’t deserve to lose it.”