Gillingham will be looking to take their frustration out on weekend visitors Notts County this Saturday.
The Gills blew a 1-0 lead away at Grimsby on Tuesday night when they conceded a 97th-minute equaliser. It’s now seven games without a win for the team as their fading promotion hopes suffered another damaging blow in the midweek clash.
Boss John Coleman is desperate to turn things around and admitted Tuesday’s setback would take days to get over, having admitted to his own error with a late substitution as Grimsby got back into the game.
He hopes to use that hurt to make amends this weekend against a County side sitting third in the table.
Coleman said: “We wanted the win for different reasons and we were desperate to get the win. It didn’t happen, but we’ve got an opportunity to start winning on Saturday.
“We’ve had two long trips [to Tranmere and Grimsby] and we’ve got to get the lads rested up and get them in the right condition.
“I’ll use [this hurt] definitely, and I’m sure the players will.”
The two drawn games at Tranmere and Grimsby ended Gillingham’s four-game losing run, but they remain well adrift of the play-off places. With 20 games left they need a dramatic upturn in results to make up on lost ground.
Coleman said: “We’ve just got to build on what we’ve done the last couple of games. We’ve got a little bit tighter. We’ve just got to start scoring goals.
“We look a threat. Asher [Agbinone] was good for a good hour. Joe [Gbode] was good. We’ve got players to come back, so hopefully we get them back and maybe kick on and get that win.”
Coleman had turned to some young players in midweek with Sam Gale coming into the squad to start in defence and Gbode leading the line in attack. It was a bold move that nearly paid off.
A combination of events went against the Gills late on at Grimsby.
Treatment by medics to a spectator in the Grimsby section, just behind the dugouts, held the game up twice and meant extra minutes added on, and it was too much for Gale, who was forced off with cramp.
Coleman dropped Oli Hawkins into defence and chose to put attacking midfielder Jonny Williams on in place of centre-half Gale, hoping attack could be a useful form of defence. It didn’t work out.
The manager said: “It’s just so, so frustrating. Obviously people’s health is far more important than the game of football. There was a person who took ill in the crowd and that’s probably the extra minutes that was played. It was probably just too much for Sam.
“He probably would have seen out the game, and that’s when the luck goes against you. I thought he was excellent.
“I thought our back four were excellent and they stood up to be counted.
“Joe worked himself into the ground. You couldn’t fault the two young lads. I’m just so disappointed for them, and it’s hard to bear when you know it’s your fault.
“It was a call I made and I made the wrong one. Over the years as a manager, I’ve made more right ones than wrong ones. It doesn’t mean it hurts any less.
“We just have to try and transfer it into a win. I’m desperate to do that on Saturday.”
The Gills have made three signings this month so far and the transfer window closes on Monday night.
Coleman will hope they can do a little more business before then.
He said: “I’m working hard and there’s a recruitment department who’s spending nine hours a day on it, so hopefully we get something before the window shuts.”
Gillingham were missing Elliott Nevitt, recent signing Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Ethan Coleman on Tuesday after all three picked up injuries.
