Gillingham skipper Doug Loft insists the team remain confident of success on Boxing Day – despite Saturday’s blow.

Loft and his team-mates head to Colchester for the festive match-up days after the 3-2 home defeat to Chesterfield.

Loft said: “We had been rock solid lately and that is why Saturday was disappointing.

“They were sloppy goals. We couldn’t do a lot about the first one but the two after that were just sloppy. We should do better.

“We are a better team than that. We have to learn. We had been on a good run and going into the game, I was confident we could have extended it. Everyone in the changing rooms after was disappointed and it was a bit flat.

“We need to pick ourselves up because it was a game we thought we could easily win.

“Christmas is a busy period. Teams that do well in a season do well over Christmas and we know the importance of it. We just weren’t at it.

“We will pick ourselves up and try and get three points against Colchester.

“Everyone in our changing room knows it is a big game. We are going there confident we can get the points. We have won there before this season.”