Gillingham manager Mark Bonner felt his side had enough moments on Tuesday but was frustrated that they couldn’t make it count.
The Gills had more of the ball and more chances but it was a smash-and-grab effort from the visitors who went away with three points after converting their only on-target effort of the night.
Bonner said: “I thought we were fairly dominant but like we’ve done to other teams, (it was a) perfect away performance.
“I think we’ve given them a goal that is absolutely preventable in two or three moments for us.
“I said to the lads that our defensive record has been amazing, so you can’t hammer them for that, but for the goal itself we get dodged twice too easily and they run through the middle of the pitch way too easily.
“We’re way too narrow as a back four and we don’t deal with the moment that’s scored and (goalscorer Kieran) Green caused a lot of problems in the first half.
“We were frustrated that we were behind. I thought we actually started quite well, first seven or eight minutes, then 20 minutes before half-time, playing well, we’ve got the ball and they’ve got the goal so how do we get the balance right between being patient and penetrating and trying to create chances and pressure on their goal?
“(There were) loads of set-plays, lots of pressure, lots of moments where we’ve got good momentum in the game, not enough final threat on the goal but still some really good moments.
“We have an excellent chance, Jayden’s cross I think for Nevitt, which is a brilliant moment for us, a header from Timmy (Dieng), a few good moments where we should do better with.”
That big moment came just before the four mark as Clarke fizzed the ball across the face of goal but Nevitt couldn’t convert. It was a night where one goal could have opened the door for more but it wasn’t to be for the Gills.
Bonner said: “Our effort to chase was outstanding, at times our quality in decision-making wasn’t good enough and therefore we didn’t have enough of a threat.
“They defended their box well, they threw their bodies in the way of loads of things and they’ll be delighted with that.
“Overall summary, really frustrated that we haven’t got something from the game because there was enough moments there for us.
“For us, as a learning game, where we fall behind and we have to chase and there’ll be more teams that do that here (at Priestfield).
“We’re going to have to keep improving, to work out how we solve that and how do we create even more than we did, or more clear-cut moments than we did.”
And on that big chance for Nevitt, Bonner added: “He’d be frustrated. But his work ethic’s unbelievable. He’s very good.
“The more and more he plays, and the more we start creating in those moments, he’ll tuck plenty of those away.
“We put some good crosses in at times tonight. We hit the first man too often at times.
“Some of our wide threat was good. Jack (Nolan) had some moments. Jayden (Clarke) had some really good moments but it’s like we threatened without the real punch and that’s what we’ve got to try and make sure we get.”
