Gillingham head coach Stephen Clemence was left with a feeling of disappointment after Saturday’s home draw.
The Gills came from behind to pick up a point as Conor Masterson scored to cancel out Walsall’s goal which came from the penalty spot.
Report: Gillingham 1 Walsall 1
Clemence’s men livened up late on – helped by the impact of loan striker Jorge Hurtado off the bench – but the game finished 1-1.
The head coach said: “I don’t think they had loads of clear-cut chances but what happened is that from kick-off they blocked a shot and all of a sudden they had three corners, a couple of long throws and we couldn’t get the ball cleared. The half just seemed to stay like that.
“I thought the opposition were taking their time on every set-play and every opportunity they had.
“They were trying to frustrate our supporters and we all got frustrated in the end, supporters, players, myself. We had to sort out one or two things at half time and in the end I was probably happy to get the point because we definitely didn’t deserve to win it and we could have lost it.
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“I am disappointed, I came for three points obviously, and knew we were playing against a very good team. Walsall are a team I have seen a lot and they have improved a lot this season.
“I knew it would be difficult but I expected us to be better in that first half, I thought we were better than that, we can’t go from the standards we showed last week (at MK Dons) to what we saw in the first half.
“Some honest words were spoken at half-time, and I felt the second half we were a little bit better. Then, after going a goal down the boys did really well to come back and equalise.
“We had a great chance (from Shad Ogie) which we should have taken and won the game but we probably didn’t deserve to win that game.”
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Ogie – who had conceded the penalty after handling inside the box – blazed a shot over after Masterson had won the ball in the air inside the box, landing invitingly for his fellow centre-half.
Clemence said: “We have seen those opportunities missed on many occasions at all levels when the ball arrives on the half-volley.
“Sometimes it just needs a little bit more guile to feed it into the corner, rather than smashing the living daylights out of it, but he is a young player and he will definitely take lessons from today.”
