Gillingham are unlikely to get dragged into a relegation scrap but the manager isn’t taking any chances.

With 11 games left, John Coleman has a points target in mind to avoid any unwanted stress during the end of season run-in.

Victory over Bradford City last Saturday again moved the Gills 12 points clear of the drop zone.

Coleman thinks two more wins for the Gills should do it.

He said: “You want to get yourself so it’s mathematically impossible. I think maybe two more wins would make it very difficult. Generally, 46 goes down.

“We’ll be looking to get two more wins but you want to start looking at trying to catch teams rather than drop below teams. That’s easier said than done.

“We had a great week last week, one step forward [with a win over Morecambe], two steps back in midweek [losing at Newport]. It’s a game we could have easily won. That’s disappointing for me.

“We’ll move forward. We haven’t had a midweek game this week. The lads will get a rest and we’ll focus all our energy on Accrington.”

Coleman wants the job next season and knows he needs more wins so even when safety is secure, they won’t want to stop there.

“It’s still a really poor return from my perspective,” he said.

“I’m very unhappy with the return that we’ve got. I think we’ve deserved more but we haven’t got it.

“You can’t just moan. You’ve just got to get on with it and keep going and keep battling through it.

“I spoke to Brad last (Friday). He’s very philosophical about the club. You can see his love for the club when you speak to him.

“I can’t lie, I’m so disappointed with the win return I’ve had, so disappointed.

“What I am pleased with is the endeavour that the players are starting to show. When I first came, they were getting questioned by the fans. I don’t think anybody can question them (on Saturday).

“There’s still a long way to go, there’s still a lot of football to be played. We’re better than what our results have showed. That’s for sure, I know that. But the table does reflect it.”

Next up for Coleman is a trip to Accrington, a team he and assistant boss Jimmy Bell had a long and successful career with, taking the club up into the Football League.

Coleman said: “People will make more of it because of myself and Jimmy’s long association with Accrington.

“It’ll sound churlish and I’m not saying it to be clever but it is just another game. You only get three points.

“They don’t up the value because you’ve been at a club for a combined total of 23 years.

“Accrington are very good at home. They’ve developed a way of playing that can be difficult to play against, as other teams in this league have found out.”

Coleman’s won his last two games at Priestfield but he’s yet to win away from home with the Gills.