by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham defender Garry Richards has called on his team-mates to "man up" following Saturday’s 4-3 defeat at home to AFC Wimbledon.

The centre-back wasn’t holding back in his critical appraisal of the performance, which left Gills sitting outside the play-off positions in League 2.

He said: "We have put ourselves in a position where we wouldn’t have thought we would be a couple of weeks ago. But we are the people who put ourselves there and we are the people who need to get ourselves out of it. It’s time to man up.

"We need to be critical and you have to be a man to take the criticism. We all take the plaudits and the pats on the back when they come our way, everyone is willing to accept them, so you have to take the criticism as well."

Gillingham conceded four goals in the final half-hour at Priestfield to lose 4-3.

Richards (pictured) added: "As a team, defensively, we switched off for all four goals and it was real schoolboy stuff.

"It is hard to get our heads around it because it wasn’t as if they were creating chances and openings at ease. It was just poor and it comes down to mentality and we switched off. To allow it to happen is a bit embarrassing."

The defeat leaves the Gills 11 points off the top three places with 20 games left.

Richards isn’t giving up hope, but knows the performances must improve.

He said: "It is not impossible. We never give up hope, I certainly don’t.

"Between now and the end of the season we need to pull together and I am sure we will."