Gillingham manager John Coleman was disappointed after seeing an opportunity missed on Saturday.
The Gills’ game against the league leaders ended goalless.
Report: Gillingham 0 Walsall 0
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “Disappointed in the first half. We started quite brightly on the front foot. Forced a free-kick, a good save from the keeper.
“Then we were too ponderous passing it around the back, letting them drop back into shape quite easily.
“We didn’t quicken the pace up and open up the opportunities to break the lines, which I thought was disappointing.
“Individual errors of miss-controlling the ball let them have a couple of glorious opportunities, a double save by Glenn (Morris), which was world class and then another great save from a header.
“The lads got a bit of a talking to at half-time, trying to wake them up.
“I think we improved in the second half. Not dramatically, but we made more chances.
“My overall feeling is disappointment that there was an opportunity to go on and stake a claim and win, beat the top of the league (team). In the end, we didn’t.
“We finished quite strongly until the last couple of minutes when they had a bit of ball in our box from throw-ins and a corner and a free-kick, which we stood up to well.
“I think you can still see the character. We’ve thrown ourselves in front of shots. You want to see the state of Sam Gale’s face. I just couldn’t believe the game didn’t get stopped (after he had blocked a shot).
“You can see the passion there. You see the desire to perform for the shirt. We want to go better than that now.
“We want better. Our fans deserve better. They deserve more excitement.
“The crowd are great when they get behind you, but you’ve got to give them something to get behind.
“There were only sporadic moments and I thought we could have been better – we have to be better.”
The Gills were reliant on Morris’ saves first half but were more alive in the second going forward, with early chances that went close.
Elliott Nevitt had the best from a Jacob Wakeling cross but his effort hit the keeper.
Coleman said: “I think he’s just got to pull back from the defender as well. I thought it was going to be a penalty because I thought the lad was going to foul him.
“He’s done well to get his foot on it. Great ball by Jacob. When things are going for you, they go in. The keeper dives past the ball and the ball goes into the middle of the goal.”
On missing chances in general, Coleman added: “It’s just that this has been an ongoing theme. If this was a one-off, you could accept it, but it’s like you know the end of the film before it starts.”
“If I was a fan there, I’d be a bit ‘meh’. I want to be more excited than that.
“You could argue, ‘well, these are top of the league and you’ve taken a point against the top of the league’. No chance.
“We should be beating everybody who we play here (at home) in the league. There’s no excuse for that.”
