By Alex Hoad

Gillingham are not in a relegation battle insists boss Andy Hessenthaler, despite his injury-ravaged side slumping to a fourth successive defeat and goal difference keeping them out of the drop zone.

Although the Gills had more than a share of misfortune in losing 3-1 at home to Crewe on Saturday, they are now winless in six games, have won just one of nine and have lost three in a row at Priestfield.

Were it not for Cheltenham’s late equaliser against Hereford, Hessenthaler, pictured, would have seen his side in the League 2 relegation zone.

Despite that, he claimed: "We’re not really in a relegation battle. I think we’ve got to look at 30 games to go. The next game’s the most important game, that’s what we’ve decided.

"We won’t stop looking at the play-offs. People say you’re in a relegation battle, but you’re nine points off the play-offs."

Hessenthaler revealed he had received a text message from chairman Paul Scally after the game, adding: "I had great comments from him (Mr Scally said): ‘When things don’t go for you, they don’t go for you, if the boys put a shift in like that for the next 30 games we’ll be fine and things will change’.

Picture: Barry Goodwin