Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio and Gills manager Andy Hessenthaler on the sidelines during Saturday's game Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler hopes the sight of Swindon celebrating promotion at Priestfield will spur his side on.

The Gills manager came into the season expecting promotion himself, but his side are battling just to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Those aspirations were boosted with a 3-1 win over Swindon on Saturday, but the Gills remain four points adrift with just two games left. Despite the defeat, Swindon were still promoted to League 1.

Hessenthaler said: "We were happy to have won the game but watching them celebrate, that’s what we want.

"That was hard to take, but are we out of it? If we win our next two games, who knows? We are still in it and Gillingham still have a chance of getting into the play-offs.

"We could still be celebrating come the end of the season. Everything will be mapped out next week and then we will know what’s going on."

Unlike in previous weeks, where results elsewhere have done the Gills a favour, there was no such luck on Saturday as Crewe’s win over Cheltenham maintained the four-point gap.

"It would have been nice to have been just a point or two outside the play-offs," said Hessenthaler.

"We can get six points now and we are then relying on the others to drop points. All we can do is go to Northampton (on Saturday) and win the game.

"Who knows, it could go down to the last game of the season where we need to win. Again results might have to go for us to sneak in there. Anything can happen."

The Gills have lost seven league games at home this season, but on Saturday the players put in a performance that delighted Hessenthaler.

He said: "We have had some tough days and the Gills fans, like any fans, want to win football matches. They want success and that is going to take a bit of time.

"They couldn’t fault the boys on Saturday. There have been times where we haven’t been on it, but we will look back over the season and it’s been an eventful one.

"I am pleased we put a good effort in on Saturday and we go away happy."

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