Gillingham manager Steve Evans knows his team need to pull off at least one surprise win in the coming days - if not two.

The Gills need a minimum of four wins to make the play-offs from their last five games but even that might not be enough. Their next two are as tough as they come in League 1.

On Saturday Evans’ side head to an in-form Oxford United side who have won their last two and netted 10 goals in the process. They follow that trip up with a midweek visit to Peterborough United, a team with the division’s best home form and a goal record that nobody is close to matching.

Gillingham drifted to six points off the play-offs on Tuesday night, as other teams played catch-up with the fixtures, and most above them still have at least one game in hand.

It’s a big ask but the Gills aren’t giving up.

Evans said: “I said (before the weekend draw with Shrewsbury) we had to win a minimum of four and not lose two. We haven’t lost, we have got a point, we have got five to go.

“It is simple. If we lose at Oxford and Peterborough, as far as the players are concerned we are done.

“We need to now win four out of five, a draw at Peterborough and a draw at Oxford would be good points on the road but that wouldn’t give us enough points to be competing in this group.

“We know how tough Oxford will be, how good their squad is, the size of it, the quality they have got. The Kassam Stadium is always a difficult place to go, Karl (Robinson) has some wonderful players.

“What we have to do is go to Oxford and produce a big performance and then we will take what comes. We need more quality (than last Saturday) to win at Oxford, the same endeavour, but more quality, that is what will give us a chance.”

Oxford United currently sit three points ahead of the Gills, having played the same number of games. Both have five to play.

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