Gillingham boss Mark Bonner highlighted the positives following a 3-1 victory over Southend United in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.
Bonner emphasized that it’s still a work in progress for his team, but the win against the National League side added to the promise they’ve shown in pre-season.
Gillingham manager Mark Bonner Picture: Keith Gillard
Report: Southend 1 Gills 3
Jack Nolan scored twice, with his opener being confirmed by officials after hitting the post, and another goal which crept in as striker Marcus Wyllie attempted to reach it.
Bonner was particularly pleased with a counter-attack finished by Jayden Clarke. The Gills boss started with a senior side for the first hour before bringing in younger players for the final 30 minutes.
After the win, Bonner stated, “The last 30 minutes were different. Southend made a lot of changes, and the game became a bit of a non-event. The first hour, we looked good in counter-attacking phases but spent too long without the ball and didn’t use it well enough. Southend played well and had a nice structure.”
“It was a few minutes of action with goals either side of half-time. I’m not sure the first one was a goal, the second was a brilliant counter-attack, and the third (scored by Southend) was poor from us. There were good minutes for people who needed it on a very long, slow pitch. It wasn’t a quality game, but there were a few positives. Our best moments were in counter-attacking phases, but there’s still work to do in other areas.”
Commenting on the goals, Bonner said, “I thought the first goal was given as a free-kick, but then I saw we were going back to the center. It was a decent move, came off the post, and I guess they said it crossed the line. The second goal was a great play from Jayden and Marcus, a really good finish. We were better in the 15 minutes of the second half, had more possession, and more entries into the attacking third.”
Bonner added, “The 30 seconds after the start of the second half (conceding on 46 minutes) was everything you don’t want, a bit flat and lacking personality. That’s what happens in week four of pre-season when everyone is tired, but we have to keep pushing and do better.”
Rowe’s deep ball forward crept in for 3-1 on 55 minutes.
Bonner said, “We had a few good entries with Jayden and Aaron (Rowe) combining on the opposite side. That partnership on the right side with Hutts (Hutton) and Jack (Nolan) shows potential. There’s lots of work to do, but it was a good moment and a good goal during a better period for us.”
