Gillingham boss Ady Pennock is ready to wage war on the rest of League 1.

His team have four games left to escape relegation, starting at Priestfield against Bristol Rovers on Friday.

Gills ended a run of four straight defeats with a draw against Millwall last Saturday and are a point clear of the bottom four.

An improved performance against the Lions came after the Gills players were left with Pennock’s words ringing in their ears after a late defeat to MK Dons the week before.

Pennock said: “We are building a bit of momentum and are on our front foot.

“We have got four massive games and hopefully we turn up. We can’t not.

“There were a lot of words said the week before after MK Dons and at half-time.

“A lot of harsh words were said by myself – honest words – because we are in a dogfight. We are at war, at war against every team we play."

Gillingham will need at least one more win to avoid the drop. Their Easter weekend is complete with a trip to neighbours Charlton on Monday.

Pennock said: “A win would be massive. Looking back over the years, Easter has often been a crucial period and it’s a crucial one for us now.”

Read the full story in Thursday's Medway Messenger