The arrival of additional players for Gillingham’s season run-in is looking unlikely.

Manager Neil Harris had been scouring the free agent market in a bid to give him extra options but two of his targets are a no-go and the third is looking doubtful.

Harris was asked for an update on his search and he said: “I think there were only two or three players we realistically thought we could get, or would want to come, to help us at the attacking end of the pitch.

“One of them went to Scotland for family purposes, so we were then down to two, and one then got injured, training on their own, and so in the nicest possible sense you are then thinking you’ve dodged a bullet, maybe their fitness levels weren’t there.

“There are players I have spoken to personally - as well as agents - that don’t want to drop and play in League 1 and I understand that.

“It comes down to one player who we might be able to get, who I hope to get that hasn’t materialised yet, hasn’t signed for anyone else yet, but the logistics of that are really complicated.

"I have not given up but I don’t want to give any false hope. It is a long shot and we are in March next week. The player hasn’t played for a long time so, we will see.

“We have got what we have got and it is my job to get the best out of those players, young and senior, they have been responding brilliantly with smiles on their faces and it is a nice place to be at the moment, we just need to get some positive results and performances and stick the ball in the net!"