Lee Holmes hopes he is 90 minutes away from a first team return against Charlton next week – but will leave it up to Mark Wotte to decide whether he is ready to be back.

The Saints winger played the final half hour as Saints reserves were thumped 4-0 by Reading at Aldershot on Wednesday and came through unscathed looking sharp.

Daily Echo: Saints Goal Alerts straight to your mobile

Holmes is now eyeing a full 90 minutes for the second string against Gillingham at Staplewood on Monday night.

Wotte has insisted that Holmes needs to get a full game under his belt before he will be considered for first team selection.

But there is little doubt his return would be a major boost to Saints’ Championship survival chances.

Holmes said: “The Reading game was a good hurdle crossed and I’m quite pleased.

“Obviously the result wasn’t good and the performance was pretty average, but for me it was another challenge and I’m pleased to have got through the game without any problems.

“The knee felt great and the sooner I can play some games the better.

“There were a few challenges that I went into and I didn’t hold back either."

Daily Echo: See today's paper for more on this story