It’s not over until it’s over, insists Gillingham boss Steve Lovell.

The Gills are sitting mid-table in League 1 with a five-point cushion ahead of the bottom four.

With five games left they’re looking well placed to finish safe from relegation, but Lovell has ruled out complacency on his and his team’s part.

“There is definitely no danger of that,” he said.

“We have enough experience in our dressing room and with us (management) as well to know that it is never over until it is over. That is the big thing for us and we have to get across that line.

“I said it last year and I say it now until I am in a position where we are finally safe. Even the Plymouth game last season I was still in doubt – even though there was never any doubt. But it is one of those, you want to make sure you get the job finished.

“If we finish the season off where we are now (in 13th) it would be fantastic. That has got to be the aim. We have to finish the season well with a few wins.”

• Graham Burke reflects on his brief spell at Shrewsbury
• Gillingham's spending on agents is revealed

The Gills’ next three games are against other teams in the relegation mix.

Shrewsbury, a point worse off than the Gills, visit on Saturday and Plymouth head to Priestfield on Good Friday. They are on the same points as the Shrews.

Gillingham then travel to bottom-placed Bradford on Easter Monday. Lovell said: “The next three games are the ones that will see where we finish the season in the league.

• Register for Gillingham email alerts

“They are three games you would like to think we are going to get something out of, which we should do, and even Saturday against Peterborough there was nothing in the game at all, we just didn’t have that cutting edge we’ve had for the last few weeks.

“Shrewsbury is going to be a tough game. They are fighting for their lives. They play a bit of a defensive system away from home and that’s something we have to get over and try and break them down.”

Lovell hopes to have Mark Byrne and Regan Charles-Cook available this weekend. Both limped off at Peterborough with knocks, but both were expected to be back training today (Thursday).

The Gills boss has named a consistent team during their good run and is pleased with the squad he has managed to assemble, especially since bringing in loan additions in January.

He said: “Darren Ferguson (the Peterborough manager) said after the game on Saturday what a good team we’ve got and we have.

“It’s a shame this group of players we have now we didn’t have at the start. I think we would have been in a much healthier place.”

*Gillingham's first pre-season friendly of the summer has been announced. They will travel to National League side Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday, July 23.