Gillingham boss Steve Lovell treating League 1 strugglers Bury like title contenders

By: Luke Cawdell lcawdell@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 00:00, 22 February 2018

Gillingham boss Steve Lovell won’t be fooled by league positions this weekend.

His side head to relegation-threatened Bury on Saturday, a side sitting 10 points adrift of safety.

Bury might be bottom by the weekend, dependent on results elsewhere but Lovell isn’t concerned by that.

Gills boss Steve Lovell won't approach the Bury game lightly Picture: Ady Kerry

“It doesn’t matter, you don’t look at the table,” said Lovell, whose own side moved up to 11th on Tuesday night after a 1-1 draw at second-placed Shrewsbury.

“Bury are a blooming good side, they came to us (in November) and played well (in a 1-1 draw).

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“It is what happens out on the pitch at 3pm on Saturday. You can’t bet on anything in football because you never know what can happen.

“We could go there and win easily or go and lose easily but we have to prepare ourselves for a tough game, make sure our boys are prepared properly to what is thrown at us.

“They will be fighting for their lives. There are no easy games. This will most probably be as tough as any game that we have had.”

Gills head to Bury maintaining their good form on the road, losing just twice in their 11 away league games under Lovell. Gillingham are currently four unbeaten.

“I just don’t want to lose,” said Lovell. “I know that sounds obvious but if you can pick up points from every game you go into, then at the end of the season you are going to be in a decent position.

“We are a point closer to 51 (their target for survival in League 1) and it was a good point as well (against Shrewsbury).

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“We will now look forward to a very, very tough game against Bury.”

At Shrewsbury, Lovell’s side showed no signs of the fatigue they had at the weekend, something that had prompted the manager to suggest he would make changes.

In the end, he stuck with the same starting 11.

“I just said that to put the opposition off,” he joked. “You look at how they train. If you do need to make changes that is what you do but they all came in on Monday and were raring to go. You have to trust your players.

“I had faith in them to tell me the truth and they were all fine, so we went with the
same.”