Gillingham defender Jack Tucker believes the team are heading in the right direction.

Twelve games remain to save themselves from the drop in League 1 and while Tuesday night's result against AFC Wimbledon - a goalless draw - was a disappointment, the improvement was there for all to see.

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A point at home followed the weekend loss against Plymouth and Tucker said: “Anyone who was there on Saturday knew it wasn’t a good enough performance, we knew that and accepted it and it was all about reacting in the right way, putting it behind us and putting on a performance to try and win the game.

“The performance was as good as it has been in a while and I am not quite sure how we haven’t won the game.

“We had a few chances where on another day they drop to us and they go in the back of the net. It wasn’t to be, we are disappointed we didn’t win the game because we felt we had done more than enough to get the three points but we are not going to be disappointed now, it is another step in the right direction and we will look to take that positive performance onto Saturday at Lincoln.

“Every game is massive now, there are 12 left, every game is a cup final. We have to get ourselves out of the mess, but we will keep putting in positive performances because we know if we keep doing that things will drop for us, they have to, if we keep putting balls into the box and bodies around big V (Vadaine Oliver) then hopefully the points will come.

“Anyone who has been to any game since the gaffer has come in will see that there has been a massive progress, results have picked up a little bit, but we still expect more from ourselves.

“(Last) Saturday wasn’t a good one, we would have liked to have backed that up with a win but it wasn’t to be, but we played well and we can’t be too disheartened by it.

“We are still full of belief, we are disappointed not to have got three points but if we keep performing like that then there will be some wins to come, I am sure of that.”