GILLINGHAM'S player-coach Iwan Roberts admitted it was a kick in the teeth for the club as they suffered an agonising defeat at Plymouth on Saturday.

Gills were stung by two David Friio goals in the dying minutes that cancelled out Darius Henderson’s opener and sent Andy Hessenthaler’s side crashing to their eighth defeat in 10 games.

Roberts said that the atmosphere in the dressing after the game was like a morgue and the staff would have a job to get morale up before the next game.

He said: “It’s a big kick in the teeth. I thought we were the best side in the first half. Ee had the best chances. We got the goal early in the second half and then we stopped doing the things that got us the lead.

“We sat off, we dropped off, we invited pressure and you could see what was going to happen and you can’t do that.

“You’ve got to keep doing the things that have got you the lead. Heads are down in the changing room and it’s a game I think we should have won.”

Striker Darren Byfield was also stunned by what happened in the final minutes. He said:

“We’d won the game. I was ready to celebrate and go over to the fans to thank them because we’d got the three points. To lose it like that just left us all gutted.”

“Even though they had a lot of possession they never looked like scoring or hurting us. And even the winner. Andrew Croft’s headed it, it’s hit the guy on the head and gone in.”

Roberts pointed to a lack of concentration in the final stages of the game. “In the last four or five minutes we didn’t concentrate as well as we should have. We’ve got to realise now that football games are 95 minutes long now with all the time that’s added on. But that’s what happens when you’re in a run like we are.”

Roberts went on to say that he thought the side looked nervous when they went in front and said it was probably a good time to have had a break.

“We can work on things but we’ve got to get out of this.”

Gills’ next game is after the international break in front of the Sky cameras on October 17 against Sheffield United.

Roberts added: “It’s going to take two or three days to get this out of our system but there’s nothing we can do about it now.

“The games come thick and fast and as I said we’ve got to stop this run. This is the worst run I’ve been on as a professional.”

One positive thing was that it would appear John Hills shouldn’t miss too much time out. It was suspected that he had a broken leg, but it appears he just strained ankle ligaments.