Ady Pennock has defended his play-off talk after taking over as head coach of the Gills.

Both he and chairman Paul Scally told the fans that they would be targeting the play-offs following January’s change in management as Pennock took over from sacked Justin Edinburgh.

The Gills boss has since admitted that his no.1 goal was staying in League 1.

He said: “It was just one of those things, there was no point in me getting appointed and us saying we have got a relegation fight, people would be saying ‘oh really?’ but I knew what the situation was.

“I couldn’t sit there after just being appointed as coach and say we have a massive relegation fight on our hands. I couldn’t say that.”

Despite acknowledging the task he faced, Pennock still feels things should have been wrapped up by now. There is a chance that the relegation battle could go down to the last game of the season if Port Vale avoid defeat at Walsall on Tuesday.

Pennock said: “We should be well safe by now, but we’re not. The table doesn’t lie. I was very pleased with the players’ performance (on Saturday) but the goals we conceded were very poor.

“We have to get over the line and then see what happens at the end of the season, speak to the chairman and then go from there.”

As a player Pennock was a fans’ favourite but he has come under fire as manager since taking over from Edinburgh.

Following the 3-2 home defeat to Fleetwood, he said: “There is an older generation who remember me but the new generation doesn’t.

“This is about my management and what we do on and off the pitch. I am not clinging onto that (being a fans’ favourite), that was when I was a player, in 1943 or whenever.

"This is now and I am more worried about now than anything.”