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Sport

Gillingham 1 Accrington 0: Reaction from manager Neil Harris after League 2 victory

By: Luke Cawdell lcawdell@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 18:00, 12 August 2023

Updated: 10:54, 13 August 2023

Neil Harris was delighted with Saturday’s win but wants to see a more ruthless side to his Gillingham team.

The Gills picked up a 1-0 victory over Accrington thanks to Ashley Nadesan’s 29th-minute effort - but it could have been a rout as they recovered from a slow start to dominate the match.

Tom Nichols takes on Accrington defender Brad Hills Picture: @Julian_KPI

Report: Gillingham 1 Accrington 0

Harris’ side had beaten Southampton 3-1 in their midweek Carabao Cup outing and that could have been more spectacular too if the numerous chances they created had been taken.

The Gills boss, speaking after Saturday’s win, said: “I made six changes from the other night, I picked a fresh team, there was only Robbie, Max and Shad that played 90 minutes the other night. I warned the group about it being after the Lord Mayor’s Show, starting a bit slow, and nobody clearly listened.

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“We were so slow out of the blocks and it took me to raise my voice on the side to get us going, then after that I thought we were excellent and we dominated the game.

“There was only one team who was ever going to win that game, however, we have to be more clinical and ruthless because if you don’t then teams will punish you and that is what the lads have to realise.

“We should score three or four more goals. I am happy with the scoreline, happy with a lot of elements of the performance but I need to see better quality in the final third from my team.

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“They get a free-kick right at the end and the ball could have floated over (the goalkeeper’s) head and into the top corner. It wouldn’t be Jake Turner’s fault or my defence’s fault, we needed to stick the ball in the other end. That is my demand of the group and that is for us to keep working on.

“It is my job to push them, as a manager it is my job to get the best out of the changing room, my staff and players.

“I don’t want anyone to think that I am not happy, I am delighted with the points, but it is my job to keep pushing the group, especially in the early stages of the season while we are fresh and have a fit and hungry group.

“I want more. I don’t want us to settle for what we’ve just seen, we are going to have to ramp it up.”

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That’s two wins from two since the League 2 season started, with a cup shock over Southampton sandwiched inbetween.

Not a bad start for Harris’ men.

He said: “It’s been a good week, but more to come. That is gone, forget that week, it is now about Sutton on Tuesday (away in the league) and I told the players we need to be fresh and ready to go.

“That’s a massive game, they are going to be really, really good, so organised, so disciplined, so aggressive, so big.

“We just have to be every bit that we were (against Accrington) but from the first whistle, not from the 15th minute, and then we have to be clinical as well.”

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