Stoke 0 Gillingham 2

MARLON King’s return to full sharpness is fast turning into a double-edged sword for Gillingham.

The 23-year-old striker, who missed the second half of last season with a serious knee injury, followed his curling free-kick against West Ham on Saturday with a superb 30-yarder to sink Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday night.

It was his third goal in as many games and now Gillingham’s hottest property is simmering again player manager Andy Hessenthaler has admitted he is not keen on answering his telephone.

He said: “That is what Marlon is all about. He took next to no back lift and hit a terrific shot. He scores goals and we need him here, but it could well prove very difficult to keep hold of him.”

King’s name was linked to a host of club’s over the summer and a recent £1million bid from Nottingham Forest has been turned down - for the time being.

Mark Saunders brought the game to life in the 23rd minute with a sensational 18-yard header, which he thumped past Neil Cutler in the Potters’ goal.

King struck with his piledriver six minutes into the second half and this prompted Stoke manager Tony Pulis - who signed Hessenthaler when he was Gills’ number one - to make changes.

Substitute Kris Commons had an immediate impact when his intelligent pass to Gifton Noel-Williams on 55 minutes carved Gills open, but the former England Youth international hit his left-foot shot high and wide.

Another former Gills man was then introduced to the fray, Ade Akinbiyi. But his chances of scoring were reduced further when defender Marcus Hall was dismissed for a second bookable offence on 66 minutes, despite calls for leniency from both sets of players.

Ten-man Stoke continued to try and find a way through and Jason Brown had to be at his best to deny the excellent Commons, a product of Stoke's Academy.

David Perpetuini was unlucky not to make it three in the dying seconds when his shot hit the post, but Gillingham’s passage into round three of the Carling Cup (drawn on Saturday) was already secure.