Gillingham boss Steve Evans left Ipswich disappointed with a point after feeling they did enough to comfortably win their Boxing Day clash at Portman Road.

The Gills bossed the first half and although the hosts improved after the break, Evans’ side still had more great chances to win it.

Report: Ipswich Town 0 Gillingham 0

“Our performance was outstanding,” he said.

“I think both Gillingham and Ipswich fans will have seen that we probably should have won three or four zero.

“We had three great chances in the first half and a couple of good chances in the second half.

“I can’t fault my players. You look at the resources of Ipswich Town, probably 10 fold, if not 15 to what we’ve got. I said to the players before the game, that doesn’t earn you the right to win any football match, you have to come together as a team and be a unit and I thought all over the pitch we were very bright.”

Ipswich were booed off by their own fans after failing to win on home soil once again. Their manager Paul Lambert hinted after the match that he might not be the man to take them any further.

Evans said: “I am not going to talk about Ipswich Town’s performance, it’s not my job, but I didn’t expect that type of performance. I thought it was going to be really tough but it wasn’t tough in spells.

“We created chances, we passed through them, when you look at their teamsheet I shake my head because it’s full of quality players, but that’s their issues, not my issue and I am only focussed on myself.

“On another day Brandon has a couple and Mika (Mandron) has a shot when he probably should have played Tommy (O’Connor) in. We should have been three up in 20 minutes. We were that dominant and they were good chances.

“We should have had three or four and that must be of great concern if you are an Ipswich Town supporter, but good for us. On another day we put them in.”

The Gills produced another great rearguard display, even though Evans didn’t think they were overly tested.

He said: “I don’t think they put any balls into the box that looked like hurting us. You would expect Ehmer, Fuller and Mandron to win those headers.

“They have got outstanding quality. In wide areas they have got Gwion Edwards, who was absolutely magnificent for me at Posh and they have Alan Judge who has terrorised my teams for years, the boy Jon Nolan who was at Shrewsbury, they have magnificent offensive players.

“Norwood is excellent, they out bid us at Posh, we were trying to get him. They have outstanding players who cost a lot of money, probably 15 fold the budget we work to, but we have never thought about resources, we have just said we will sign the best available for what resources we are given.”

Evans revealed afterwards that two of his young players were ill leading into the game. Both Jack Tucker and Alfie Jones were pre-match doubts. Both played 90 minutes.

He said: "They didn't get a lot of sleep (before the match) and we just asked them to battle for us and try and recover and I thought their energy levels were incredible.

"I decided they would play on the morning of the game when both lads said to the medical team that they were prepared to play, it then becomes my decision.

"I spoke to Jack, more than Alfie, who has more experience. He said he wanted to go to Portman Road and play. Who wouldn’t? It is one of those iconic stadiums that is not League 1 is it? They wanted to play and Jack was outstanding for a kid."