Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler believes League 2 leaders Southend are no better than his team and now wants his players to prove it.

The Gills sit 10th in the table and are seven points off the top but despite the gap, Hessenthaler claims his team have enough quality to match anyone in the division.

Hessenthaler (pictured) said: "It shows you, without being disrespectful to Southend, that if they are capable of going on a run, then we are as well.

"We are as good as any of them and we showed that at Southend earlier in the season. If we had taken our opportunities and not come up against a keeper in fine form and didn’t switch off from a corner, we would have won.

"They have got confidence and the bit between their teeth and are on a run. That’s all it takes. There is no reason we can’t come into that category."

Hessenthaler is targeting an average of two points a game for promotion to take them past the 90-point barrier. They are currently six points off where they would like to be.

"Our challenge as a group is to try and bridge that gap," added Hessenthaler. "Two points a game will get you promotion, without a doubt, but it might be less."

The Gills take their own promotion campaign to Devon on Saturday when they take on Torquay.

Can Gillingham average two points a game for the rest of the season? Have your say below.