Watford 2 Gillingham 0

GILLINGHAM’S relegation fears worsened even further following another away defeat at Watford on Saturday.

After collecting just six points on their travels all season, manager Stan Ternent is no further to solving a problem that may well hinder the club’s chances of survival.

He said: "If I was a manager of another club in this division I’d be looking forward to Gillingham coming to my club because it’s a guaranteed three points.

"I think the problem is between the players’ ears. We’ve played 31 games now of which 16 have been away from home, and we’ve won one and drawn three and so you don’t have to be Einstein to see our problem.

"I think in the situation we’re in, sometimes you can be a little apprehensive and a little frightened. But really there’s only three things that can happen. You can win, you can lose or you can draw – so you’ve got to give it your best shot."

Gills got off to the worst possible start after Barry Ashby had steered in Danny Webber’s speculative shot midway through the first half.

The performance up until the interval showed little signs of improvement and Ternent was well aware of the players’ failures in the opening half.

He said: "We were poor in the first half and we didn’t try enough or play to our strengths at all. In the second half we changed one or two things and played extremely well and had some golden opportunities to score some goals.

"We missed two tap-ins and the keeper made a great save from Darren Byfield but then we got caught with the last kick of the match. We just needed to get a little break."

The performance of the side in the second half has given Ternent hope but with some tough games coming up, time is running out.

Ternent added: "If we could play like we did in the second half then we’ve still got a fighting chance. The second half gives us hope. We need to play with no respect and no fear."

Gills were dealt a double blow ahead of the game with the late withdrawals of keeper Steve Banks and defender Chris Hope, although Ternent was philosophical about their absence.

He said: "We didn’t have any luck today and, of course, that happens to sides near the bottom. Injuries are not what you need but are part and parcel of the game."

Gills did give a debut to new signing Mike Flynn, with Ternent pleased with the new man’s performance. "He had a fantastic debut," he said.

GILLS JURY

"We're not picking up points away from home and unless we can improve then we're certainties for relegation. Gillingham last lost at Watford in 1979 so I went to Vicarage Road confident we could get something. But though there was a big second half improvement, we paid dearly for a poor first 45 minutes. What a shame only Paul Smith, Ian Cox and Barry Ashby bothered to come over at the end and thank the fans." Tony Tomlin, Enfield

"It was the same old away day blues and we are paying for a lack of investment in the team. The damage was done in the opening 20 to 30 minutes and although we were out of luck with a couple of efforts that hit the woodwork, you have to wonder where the club would be now had we invested in players. That said, I still believe we can stay up." Matt Jeary, Margate

"Rather than bringing in a midfield player, I wish Stan Ternent had signed a striker because if we had someone capable of banging in the goals, we would have beaten Watford. We wasted six or seven clear-cut chances and hit the woodwork twice. I don't think we deserved to lose 2-0. Alan Jones, Strood

"Eighteen months ago, players like Paul Shaw and Marlon King would have scored from the chances Gillingham created at Watford. We lack a cutting edge and failure to win at Watford, where Gillingham have traditionally done well, is going to make the job of staying up all the harder. But it's not over yet." Eddie Allcorn

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