GILLINGHAM manager Andy Hessenthaler admitted his men rode their luck in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Crewe which saw the home team strike the woodwork three times. He said: "In the first half I thought we played well and created a couple of decent chances. But at the end I was especially pleased we kept a clean sheet after what happened against Manchester City.

"I was pleased with the way the players responded and I'm bound to say that I would have settled for a point before the game. Having said that I felt we could have won the game in the closing stages. Now we've got to carry this kind of disciplined performance forward against Watford on Sunday."

The Gills boss also revealed that recalled centre-back Barry Ashby had been left out as a gee-up following a number of below-par performances. He made an impressive return in containing Crewe's talented striker Rob Hulse.

"Barry hadn't been playing well and even though he was suspended, we felt it was best to leave him out. But he responded well."

Crewe manager Dario Gradi confessed that Gillingham's switch to a 4-3-3 formation had surprised him.

Gradi watched Gillingham lose 4-1 at against Manchester City a week earlier and said: "I thought Gillingham would make a change in formation after that defeat. But I believed they would come here with a 4-4-2 formation. I was surprised when they came with three up front.

"I thought we did more than enough to win but the woodwork kept getting in our way."

Gillingham's euphoria at ending a sequence of three successive away defeats was short-lived after Walsall's 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday dropped them to 21st in the table.