Gillingham’s season comes to an end this weekend and manager Steve Evans can’t wait.

It has been a tough campaign for the Gills, returning back for pre-season without enough players to make an 11-a-side team and training in Canterbury while their own facilities were out of action because of contaminated soil.

Evans had to see some of his better players leave as they were unable to offer contracts while other teams splashed the cash before a date for a new campaign was known.

Despite the issues, Evans has managed to put together a competitive team that until recently were knocking on the play-off door. They finish the season against Plymouth Argyle on Sunday, with a 12pm kick-off.

Relegation and promotion isn’t an issue for either team and the best the Gills can hope for is to end the season on a high.

Evans said: “We will take the hurt (from missing out on the play-offs) and look forward to meeting with the chairman and look forward to the season being truly finished.

“It’s been a unique season given what’s happened with no crowds, unsure where we would train. But let’s not forget one thing, when this group came together we first had no training base, we had to go to Canterbury, we couldn’t sign the likes of Max Ehmer and Brandon Hanlan because we couldn’t put deals to them.

“I was 100% behind that because we couldn’t ever jeopardise the football club and these boys have been marvellous, to have seen where they have taken us to.

“We will be ready for Plymouth and then we can get this absolutely dreadful season, because of Covid and everything around it, let’s get it finished.”

The Gills are currently 11th in the table and could still better last season's 10th place finish, with a win on Sunday.

Evans will then be looking to meet with chairman Paul Scally to see where the club goes next. He wants to be in a position to challenge next season.

The Gills boss has this week been linked with Swindon Town, one of those relegated from League 1 this season. Evans has said previously the Town chairman has on more than one occasion tried to lure him to the County Ground.

Keeping the Gills fighting at the top half of the table over the last two seasons certainly won’t have gone unnoticed, a team who for many years were at the wrong end. Evans now wants the tools to make a serious push for those play-offs.

He said: “I have a conversation to have with the chairman, we have to know where the club is going, understand the chairman’s plans and he has to understand my thoughts on it. There are conversations we are booked in to have and I expect them to be positive, I don’t expect anything else.

More: Evans - 'We have to have a plan'