BARRY Blankley lavished praise on recent signing Danny Gibbons after his third goal in two games had helped Bashley fight back for a 2-1 DML Eastern Division win at St Leonards.

The 25-year-old former Newport and Weston-super-Mare markman wrapped up victory on the hour after Mat Jones had cancelled out Peter Baker's 23rd-penalty opener.

With 32 minutes gone, defender Jones romped forward from the halfway line and sent an unstoppable 30-yarder past keeper Peter Newstead.

Then, with the hour-mark approaching, Gibbons ensured a healthy three-point return for the Foresters by smashing home from Craig Anstey's pullback.

Leading scorer Craig Davis had the chance to extend Bashley's advantage from the spot following a foul on Stuart Hussey, but the normally prolific midfielder was denied by Newstead.

Acknowledging Gibbons's contribution, Blankley said: "Danny's workrate was superb. He was dead on his feet at the end.

"It would've been easy to take him off and give him a rest but if we were clearing our lines, we needed his aerial power.

"No disrespect to Richard Gillespie, but that wouldn't have happened if he had been on because he's almost a foot shorter than Danny.

"Because the pitch was so heavy, it was a real test of our heart, character and passion and that's what got us through in the end."

Bashley are now seventh in the table, four points behind league leaders Dorchester Town with a game in hand.