Manager John Coleman has spoken of his relief at getting his first Gillingham win under his belt.
Coleman won at the 10th attempt as Gills boss on Saturday as his team deservedly clinched a 1-0 victory over Morecambe at Priestfield.
Report: Gillingham 1 Morecambe 0
“The only feeling is relief,” said the Gills manager.
““I’m delighted for the fans. They stuck with us all the way through the game. There was no moans and groans.
“We had to be a little bit more patient. We didn’t want the game to be played the way Morecambe wanted it to be played, which was very physical, very aerial dominated.
“We had to try and find a way to get it wide, particularly to get Hutton on the ball and get at them. I think he put about four or five crosses in the first half.
“You can get desperate and you can just lump the ball up, particularly when you’ve got Hawkins playing as well. Hawks did great. He gets manhandled every single game. I feel sorry for him, to be honest.
“But we had to find a way to get down the side of them and to get balls into the box. I always thought we might score from a set-play, either a free-kick or a throw-in, because we’re simply going to have that many. We tried to mix it up with three or four different things.
“That chance that we’ve scored from has happened probably 15 times in the last four games. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t.
“For us it was feeling as though it was never going to go in.
“You’re also feeling we’re at the stage where I don’t know what you’d have to do to get a penalty anymore. I honestly don’t.
“It’s like we’ve got the exempt card, we drew the card where we’re not allowed to be awarded a penalty. But the players kept going.
“I’m pleased for the fans, I’m really pleased for the players, I’m pleased for the staff. They work their socks off every day. You can’t knock them. You haven’t got a set of people here who are sitting on their hands, that’s for sure.
“I think the relief that we showed at the end was palpable.
“For me, at this moment in time, it feels like the biggest win of my career – even though I know it’s not.
“People who know me know, when I’m in this situation, the analogy I use is like taking a pair of shoes off that are too tight and the relief you feel is unbelievable. I’m a size 9, that was like taking a pair of size one off!”
The winning goal came on 79 minutes when Robbie McKenzie drove a shot through a crowded box in front of a thrilled Rainham End.
Coleman said: “I spoke earlier on in the week of the affinity I’ve got to Morecambe from my playing days.
“I think even the most ardent Morecambe fan could not begrudge us the win. We could have scored four or five. We kept on going.
“Probably the most pleasing aspect of the day was that it was my daughter and my grandson’s birthday. I promised them a present of three points.
“I was promising something that I couldn’t guarantee I could deliver but we were going to do our very best to deliver.”
Once the Gills took the lead, they didn’t look back. Morecambe finished the game without a shot on target.
Coleman said: “It was pleasing that, once we took the lead, we never, ever really looked like surrendering it.
“I know they had a few balls in the box, but we dealt with them really easily.
“It helps having a cool head with Glenn (Morris) in goal as well, so he can keep a lid on them. That’s what I want to take from this game that we found our way to win and we didn’t bottle it, basically.
“The lads have got the reward for the hard work.
“When you put something in and you don’t see the pay-off, you can get disheartened. When you do it again and again and again and you don’t get the pay-off, then it gets even worse.
“To finally get it, the lads are thrilled.”
