THE affection Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler has for his former club Watford will not extend to seasonal charity for the Boxing Day reunion at Priestfield.

Gillingham’s plunge to fifth from bottom in Division 1 - one place better off than the visitors - has put a new and unexpected edge on a game both teams are desperate to win.

Watford manager Ray Lewington tore into his players after Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat by Stoke, insisting that Gillingham feel the backlash.

Hessenthaler, whose side received an unwanted day off with Saturday’s postponement at Nottingham Forest, was dismayed by the club’s slide into 20th place that night.

With the season having reached the traditional halfway stage, Hessenthaler - who spent five seasons at Vicarage Road - is in no mood to play down the importance of the Christmas matches against Watford and Sunday’s against Millwall.

He stressed: “Watford and Millwall are teams that are round about us so they are big games."

Unless he signs a striker or a goalkeeper between now and the Watford and Millwall games - and players are notoriously reluctant to move during the Christmas and New Year period - Hessenthaler will stick with the side he had picked for the Forest game which will see him replace the injured Nicky Southall in midfield.