Manager John Coleman told anyone listening pre-match that Gillingham could beat Bradford City and the players backed up that faith on Saturday.
Conor Masterson got the winner in a 1-0 scoreline at Priestfield as the Gills kept the promotion-chasing visitors relatively quiet, ending the Yorkshire side’s winning streak that stood at four games before the weekend. It was only Gillingham’s second win since Christmas.
Report: Gillingham 1 Bradford 0
“I expected us to win,” said Coleman. “I honestly did. You can ask anyone on the staff, I said to them (on Friday) ‘We’re going to win tomorrow’. I really fancied us to win.
“I’m so delighted with the way we defended and I’m so delighted that the game plan that we set out to do from the start worked a treat.
“I was really pleased with the performance. Obviously more pleased with the result.
“I can be happy this week as opposed to last week (after the Morecambe win) with the relief. It’s more happiness this week that the game plan worked.
“I wanted the lads to believe that they could win and stick their chest out and not go in as the underdogs that we were, according to the bookies.
“I think everyone was just taking it as a fait accompli that Bradford were going to win this game and with Walsall not winning earlier on in the day, that they were just going to go top.
“I said to our players, and I’ve said many a time, we don’t fear anybody. There’s nothing to fear in the league.
“Bradford have got where they are because they’re a very pragmatic team. They’re a very functional team. They do what it says on the tin and they do it really well.
“All credit to their manager for getting them in the situation where they are. They’re in such a position of strength in the league. It’s not easy this league. I’ve said it all along, there’s no great team in the league but there’s no bad team in the league. Every game you go in, it’s like a war.”
The Gills got the winning goal on 56 minutes when Masterson fired home following a corner kick. They pushed for a second and weren’t overly troubled by the visitors.
Coleman said: “You need the bounce of the ball [to go in your favour] every now and again. We got the bounce the ball. That hasn’t happened to us too many times at home.
“We let ourselves down on Tuesday (losing 3-1 at Newport). It was a game that we could have won but we gave ourselves a mountain to climb (conceding three times in half an hour). It was too much early on with silly mistakes.
“I think that (on Saturday) it was a really, really solid defensive display against a team who have been absolutely flying, by the way.
“They haven’t conceded in the last three games as well. They’ve won the last three comfortably.
“For us to limit them to so few chances, to have that determination to win first contact, to get second bounce, second ball and still make us a couple of good chances ourselves.
“We’ve still got this wait for the penalty that baffles me. Absolutely baffles me. When you see two of them back there, it makes your eyes bleed!”
Gillingham players have faced criticism on numerous occasions this season but not this weekend.
Coleman added: “I don’t think any one of our players could be criticised today. I won’t have them being criticised. I’ll stand up to anyone.
“I thought they were fantastic. Technically, maybe not as great. The free-flowing football wasn’t probably there.
“Bradford will tell you that they’re on the verge of promotion, automatic, by playing football that wins games. With the squad we’ve got, that’s what we’ve got to learn to do.”
It’s back-to-back home wins for the Gills now and Coleman was glad to give those supporters something to really cheer.
He said: “I think the fans could see the passion and the effort of the players and the willingness to work for the shirt, which as a football fan that’s probably all you require really.
“I’m glad we’ve got that back. I’m glad we’ve got that relationship back with the home fans. To win two home games on the spin. I felt it was never going to happen but it has happened.”
