Gillingham’s youth team manager was on press duty after Saturday’s disappointing display at Walsall.

Interim manager Keith Millen was sent off for what referee Charles Breakspear felt was a deliberate trip on a Walsall player. It left Mark Moss to face the music after a poor defensive display gave the hosts a 4-1 win.

Report: Walsall 4-1 Gillingham

“We’re bitterly disappointed,” said Moss. “We have fallen short of the standards that the first-team group set themselves this season. We are disappointed with ourselves and for the fans

“As a collective we have to be better, we have to defend better without the ball. At this level, if you don’t defend properly, not just the defenders and the goalkeeper, the whole team, then you get punished. We got punished and conceded some poor goals from our point of view.”

It was a fourth straight away defeat in the league for the Gills as they dropped from third to seventh in League 2. They’ve now lost five of their first 13 games.

Millen’s sending off came after just half an hour and the Gills conceded twice shortly after. A super double save from the home keeper Owen Evans denied Macauley Bonne and Ethan Coleman just before the break.

Moss said: “If that goes in then the momentum of the game changes, who knows after that, it’s all ifs and buts isn’t it? We just have to accept, move on and be better, we will come in on Monday and work hard to put it right.”

It had been a busy day for Moss, seeing the B Team group kick off in the morning before dashing up to Walsall to be on the bench and help out.

He certainly hadn’t expected to be fronting up after a 4-1 loss for the first-team.

“We are disappointed, disappointed to have fallen short of the standards that we have set,” he said.

“It’s a bad day at the office but in general the coaching staff have been brilliant, Deren Ibrahim the goalkeeping coach has been superb, the backroom guys, Jamma and the sports science team, they’ve been brilliant.

“We just have to move on as a team, get the players right for Monday and then go from there.”

Gillingham chairman Brad Galinson, meanwhile, referenced the stats when telling fans to “trust the process”.

The Gills had more shots, more possession and better passing figures than Walsall, despite the 4-1 scoreline.

He wrote on X: “It’s growing pains. 68% possession. 79% accuracy. 14 shots. We’re doing the things we need to do. We’ll get there.

“Trust in the process (and we will get you a manager).”