Gillingham’s Jonny Williams insists there is still plenty of time to get back in the promotion mix this season.
The Gills led the way in League 2 during the opening weeks of the season, but have since drifted away from the leading clubs, ending the weekend sitting 10th place, now 13 points off top spot.
More: Coach sees encouraging signs
Saturday’s game at Wrexham was the first for new head coach Stephen Clemence in the league but his side conceded after less than 60 seconds and were unable to get back into the match, missing one guild-edged chance and having a penalty appeal turned down.
Wrexham won the match 2-0.
Williams said: “We know we have to create more, we need to score more, we also have to have a platform to be hard to beat.
“Conceding two was frustrating. Had we got the penalty, or had Shad scored the goal, I think we could have gone on and scored two or three. We were moving the ball well, better than in past games but I don’t think it’s through lack of effort.
“Everyone was down in the changing room afterwards. We gave our all and it hasn’t happened.
“We know we need to be better next week at home and there are 29 games left so we need to put it into perspective, we have seen weirder things happen in this league.
“Bristol Rovers came out of nowhere a couple of years ago and got third place and they were a lot worse off than we are at the moment.
“It was a low changing room, frustrated and downbeat.
“To have so many fans follow us, over 1,000 is brilliant from Kent, it means the world to us and we thank them for their support and it’s a shame we couldn’t give them something to cheer about.
“But when you go 1-0 down in a game so early it’s an uphill battle, especially against a team like Wrexham, although I did think we were the better team in the first half.
“Shad’s had a great chance, and score that it’s 1-1 just before half-time and then we gain some momentum and I thought it was a penalty as well. Had it been against us it might have been given.”
The Gills will look to get back on track against Salford City this coming Saturday, a team sitting in the bottom half.
“We will put on a performance and give our all,” Williams said.
“Hopefully we will be exciting to watch and create chances. It’s not through us not trying hard enough, the dressing room was devastated, we believe we could have beaten Wrexham and at times we showed we were the better team, that’s frustrating but we need to keep the belief, there is a long way to go.”
Williams – a former Welsh international – was clapped off by the home fans at Wrexham on Saturday, appreciative of his efforts for the national side.
He said: “It has been a big part of my life playing for Wales, there were some boos at the start but that’s to be expected sometimes! It was really nice reception.
“There wasn’t much in the game. It was a typical League 2 game and sometimes the margins are quite slim.
“They found a way to win. It’s very hard when you do concede so early, you still have 90 minutes to go and win the game, but it does demoralise you and gives them a bit of momentum and confidence.
“We stuck together, they scored the second, had we scored maybe before half-time I believe it could have been a different game, it was just a shame because so many fans travelled.
“It would have been nice for them to go home with something to cheer about. We love playing for Gillingham and we will do our all.”
