More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Manager Neil Harris says he won’t accept Gillingham being a “crap League 2 team” after watching his side beaten in the dying seconds at Barrow.
He was disappointed with the nature of both goals they conceded, the first coming courtesy of a ninth-minute own-goal and then a second in the fourth and final minute of stoppage-time, having got back on level terms late in the match.
The Gills were fortunate to be only one goal down at the break, having turned in a first half showing that left the manager frustrated.
“First half, rubbish, absolutely rubbish,” Harris said. “Barrow went to a back five, with two holding midfielders to nullify us and pay the respect that we are the third best team (on form) in the EFL since New Year’s Day, we just didn’t do enough to break it down.
“I have credited the players on the back of recent results, and rightly so, I bemoaned them at Walsall about standards, the attitude here was excellent but the level of performance first half was terrible.
“We adjusted second half and got a bit of our identify back with Oli Hawkins coming on at half-time, we looked much better, we were the better team second half and deserved to get on level terms, but as I said to the boys, my biggest disappointment is just the manner of the goal.
"I don’t want to stand infront of the press after every away game bemoaning being a crap League 2 team because that’s what that last goal was. I can’t have it, I am not prepared to have it, I am not going to have it next year.
“I am frustrated, I am frustrated for the fans that have travelled, frustrated for the players to have given a poor goal away, but we have to do better, they are not the things that I expect and accept from my team.”
The Gills looked like taking a point from the contest when Conor Masterson headed in Alex MacDonald’s 82nd minute corner. But deep into stoppage-time the Gills were undone.
Of the Barrow winner, he said: “It was a deflection but I won’t accept a deflection as the reason, we should have got out of our box quicker, but didn’t get out of our box because the lads, sloppy nature? Ill discipline? Whatever you want to call it. We have to get out of our box, that is down to the players, there is enough experience there to get us out of the penalty area to stop the shot.”
And of the ninth minute opener? Harris said: “Tom Nichols gives the ball away in his own half, which, when you play two centre forwards in a game your centre forwards cannot turn the ball over cheaply, I have shown them, discussed it with them and they know the rules.
“We are all going to make mistakes but you can’t accept as a centre forward turning the ball over and the ball ending up in your own goal. Was it unfortunate? Yes, Max (Ehmer) clears the ball and it goes in (off goalkeeper Glenn Morris), it was unfortunate, but we can’t turn the ball over like we did.”
Nichols had chances to make amends second half as the Gills improved but he couldn’t test the home keeper. Masterson’s goal was their team’s only effort on target all match.
Harris said: “I said to him (Nichols) at half-time he’s cost us a goal first half and he has to put it right second half, he should have put it right but didn’t have the clinical nature to score, the ruthless nature in the game, again it is the levels I demand from players and that I want.”
