Manager John Coleman understands the frustration of the Gillingham fans and is desperate to give them a win to celebrate.
The Gills are nine points above the League 2 relegation zone and play second-from-bottom Morecambe this Saturday.
Coleman wasn’t impressed with ironic chants of “we’ve scored a goal” after taking the lead on Tuesday against Fleetwood Town but knows those same fans have been starved of entertainment for too long.
He said: “I can understand it. I don’t agree with it. We’re all disappointed when the ball won’t go in the net. It’s not been for the want of trying that’s for sure.
“There’s no one more frustrated than us. I can see the tongue-in-cheek aspect of it but I’m not saying I agree with it.
“I was disappointed with the response (to scoring) but it’s understandable from football fans who have been starved of any kind of pleasure or any kind of success.
“We’re desperate to give them that but I want the fans to feel part of our success.
“I want them to feel part of the success process and they can help us on Saturday and I hope they do.
“When Priestfield’s rocking it’s a difficult place to come to and I want it to be a difficult place for Morecambe to come to.
“Fans have got to realise the importance of their contribution to the game on Saturday. We’re going to need them.”
The Gills were booed off on Tuesday after the loss but Coleman has managed to get the team playing with more attacking intent and wholehearted effort.
He said: “I don’t think [the fans] were getting the minimum that they deserved.
“I think you can see that they are getting it now, they are getting the effort, they are getting the fight, they are getting the drive and the passion.
“We need to turn that into wins.
“I think even the most disappointed fan can recognise that the players are giving their all, which as a football fan is the minimum you should expect, but it’s not always the minimum that you get and not just from our club, there’s lots of fans who are disappointed with the output of the players.
“I’m getting the output that I require now, now we’ve got to turn that into wins.
“I think we are close to a win. You can bemoan your luck, we are having no luck, we’re having loads of bad luck, but you’ve got to keep going through that, you’ve got to keep working hard and we will work hard and we will get it right.
“I’ve been doing it a long time and I know what it takes to win a game of football. People might not think that at the moment because I haven’t won for Gillingham, but we will get it right.”
Coleman played as a striker for Morecambe in his playing days, with his goals helping them to promotion from the Northern Premier League to the National Conference in 1995.
Morecambe later went on to win promotion to the Football League in 2007.
Coleman said: “I’ve got a strong affinity for Morecambe, I had seven great playing years there.
“I’ve got really good friends at Morecambe but they’ll been my enemy on Saturday until five o’clock.
“I said in my programme notes a big welcome to everyone from Morecambe, especially the fans, because I got on great with the fans.
“Gillingham is my priority on Saturday and it doesn’t matter how you’re inflicting a defeat, we want to inflict a defeat on them.”
