Gillingham goalkeeper Glenn Morris admits the League 2 relegation scrap is too close for comfort.
Morris pulled off a superb late stop to help ensure the Gills picked up a point against bottom club Carlisle United, a game that ended goalless.
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That point increased the gap between the Gills and the drop zone to nine points.
It’s a reasonable gap, with the Gills having the luxury of a couple of games in hand over second-from-bottom Morecambe, but it’s not big enough to be complacent said the keeper after their weekend draw with Carlisle.
Morris said: “I think now everyone’s stepping up to the plate on that pitch and putting an effort in.
“We’re obviously disappointed not to have won the game [at Carlisle] but it’s a tricky place to come go. I’ve been in football a long time and I don’t think I’ve won many games there so it’s a good solid point.
“It keeps us a bit further away from the danger zone.
“We don’t want to look at that but we have to be realistic. It was a must-not-lose game really and we managed to get that but obviously, for us, we wanted to win it and we felt like we were the better team.
“This is where we are at the minute. We didn’t want to be in this position but we are and if we’d have lost to them then we’d have got a lot closer to it.
“(If we) just keep picking up points then we won’t have to worry about it.
“We don’t want to get closer and closer. We want to get our work done early with these games left to go and make sure we’re pulling away and looking up rather than down. That’s what we want to do and that’s the main aim.”
League 2 table
Morris didn’t have too many difficult saves to make on the day, as both sides struggled with their finishing, but the 40-year-old was at his best to get a hand to Stephen Wearne’s late header.
He said: “You’re hoping you can get something on it and turn it around the post and luckily I managed to do that.
“It’s always nice, it’s what we work on in training and you wait for those moments.
“I didn’t really feel like I was getting tested too much. The boys in front were blocking everything and heading everything away when it did come our way. If I’m there to make a save, you’re doing your job as well so it’s always nice.”
The Gills have picked up three successive draws now since the low point at Barrow a fortnight ago. Two weeks on from that rock-bottom performance and the mood in the camp was certainly a lot more positive this time around.
“It’s a hell of a lot better,” said the experienced stopper.
“Obviously, it would have been a bit better if we’d have got the penalty but we know what a Gillingham performance is and we’re putting that in.
“Yes, we’d have liked the wins but we know what we’re doing now so it’s a lot better.”
Morris also commented on the 400-odd fans who made the weekend trip to back the Gills on their most northerly trip.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s a long old way and we give them great credit because they did help.
“You could hear them pushing us on and it’s brilliant and that’s what we need.
“Great commitment and we can’t thank them enough. It’s unbelievable.”
The Gills are 12 games without a win and return to Priestfield to host Fleetwood Town tomorrow (Tuesday) night before entertaining Morecambe – presenting them with a chance to put more distance between themselves and the bottom two.
Morris said: “We want to get the win as soon as possible and we feel like we’ve come close so many times and just not getting over that line but if we keep putting in that performance in, it will turn.
“We know (Tuesday’s game) will be difficult. It was a tough game up there early in the season, if I remember, they were a good footballing team.
“We just have to make sure we’re putting in the right effort and the right commitment, which we will and I’m sure we’ll be okay.”
