Gillingham Andy Hessenthaler saw in champions Chesterfield the consistency which his League 2 challengers were missing.

The Gills stuttered at the final hurdle this season, having turned around a disastrous opening few months of the season, but the team’s hit and miss performances in the end cost them the chance of a play-off place.

"The champions were consistent and they were rightly champions," said Hessenthaler, pictured.

"It’s over 46 games and Chesterfield thoroughly deserved to be champions. When you look at the group of players they’ve got they have consistent performers week in, week out. That’s the reason they won the league.

"The early part of the season was very disjointed for us. We had the squad but half of the squad was sitting in the stand (injured). I don’t think that helped us, that’s not making excuses.

"We never had a settled side in the early stages of the season and that affected us.

"We knew we had a good squad but it was difficult and frustrating for all of the players who we would have liked to get on the pitch to be sitting in the stand.

"From November onwards we got into promotion form, went on a fantastic run and turned things around, but it’s only been over the last few games where we’ve let it slip away. All in all, we are disappointed."

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