Boss Steve Lovell said he felt let down by his Gillingham players on Saturday.

It was the second time in as many weeks that Lovell has spoken openly of his frustration by what he had seen infront of him.

"It's their fault," said the manager, following a 3-0 loss at Rochdale.

Report: Rochdale 3 Gillingham 0

"Managers take the blame for most things, sometimes you hold your hands up, but it's them on the pitch.

"We started very brightly and most probably it was the best we had played for a while with the ball but then they get a goal.

"It was bad defending again, letting in Henderson, who is one of the best forwards in the league, giving him space and he scores, against the run of play.

"Straight away you are up against it and then the same thing happens for the second goal, it was nearly identical.

"It doesn't matter about how well you start and how well you play, we get crosses into the box and don't get anybody on the end of them and when we do they are powder-puff efforts that just go over or into the keeper with no power,

"it is just so frustrating. For all the good work we did to start with, they get the two goals and then you are up against it and second half you are chasing. We changed things to try and make things happen but it doesn't and they get the third.

"I have been let down by the players, let down by some players who have been brilliant for me most of the season. Defensively we have been sound all season but defensively we give them three goals."

Leading scorer Tom Eaves missed a good chance first half, heading wide.

"You have to score," Lovell said. "You are inside the area, 10 yards out, you have to score, it is frustrating. You don't get many chances away from home and you have to take them."

Unlike last weekend against Wimbledon, the Gills were creating openings, but still came off the field without registering a goal.

"You have to stick them away," he said.

"It is no good creating them and losing the game 3-0, we could have gone 2-0 up before they scored. Even when they scored their first goal we had another couple of half chances, they were still opportunities we never took, that is disappointing.

"The overall performance first half was good, apart from the goals and they win games, it is no point performing and not getting anything out of it."