Millwall defender Joe Martin said he knew what reception was coming when he returned to Gillingham at the weekend.

The 27-year-old spent almost five years at the Priestfield Stadium between 2010 and 2015, playing over 200 games for the club.

Martin was released by the Gills at the end of the 2014-15 season before he signed a one-year deal with Millwall.

The Dagenham-born defender was booed throughout the clash but he insisted he knew what to expect.

“It was what I expected – it was hostile, it was fierce and a tough game,” Martin said.

“I expected a bit of stick and I got a bit of that.

“But we just wanted the three points to finish as high as we could and to get the second leg at home.”

When asked whether the 2-1 victory felt like getting one over on his former side, Martin said: “Not really, that’s gone now. I left the club last year.

“They got one over on us at our place and we returned the favour.

“I didn’t look at it like that, it wasn’t about getting my own back. It was just about the three points.

“It was a great atmosphere to be fair, they really got behind their team and so did our fans.”

The Lions had already guaranteed a top-six finish going into the fixture, but Neil Harris was desperate for his side to finish the regular season on a high.

Aiden O’Brien provided Millwall with a lead just after the break, but Gillingham equalised in injury-time.

Lee Gregory, making his comeback from injury, was brought down in the box in the 98th-minute and slotted home a penalty to give the Lions a fourth straight victory.

Martin added: “We didn’t really need the points but we saw this as a big game.

“We wanted to keep the momentum going. We’re on great run at the minute and that can only help going into the semi-final.

“We're looking good. We have got a good strikeforce and we're a danger, so it looks positive.

“I'm looking forward to the play-offs. I've never really experienced it as a starter and we're all confident and excited.”

Follow us on Twitter @NewsShopperSprt