Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth described how his team managed to turn things around against Bromley on Saturday.
The Gills were struggling going toe-to-toe against Bromley, but Ainsworth managed to get his players to change their approach to the game, and it paid off.
Report: Bromley 2 Gillingham 2
From 2-0 down after 12 minutes, the Gills worked their way back into it after a torrid start. A goal from Josh Andrews and a stoppage-time penalty by Max Clark levelled it at 2-2.
“First 20 minutes, we were a little bit unrecognisable,” the Gills boss admitted, as his team extended their unbeaten run this season to seven games.
“We got sucked into a battle with Bromley, and if you battle with Bromley, you’re going to be in trouble.
“They’re good battlers, they’re real physical specimens, they know how they play, they know what they want to do, and really, they put it on us, crosses into the box, crazy decisions at the back for us.
“We didn’t win enough headers, we weren’t as solid as I’ve seen us, but that was 20 minutes gone. The rest of the game, I thought we got the ball down well and we played some real good stuff at times.
“Still, at times, it came to us and we could have took a touch, but we’re still heading it, and it was about giving the boys confidence to bring the ball down and play a little bit.
“At the end, we have players on the pitch like Aaron Rowe, Garath McCleary, Jonny Smith, Jonny Williams, these are players who need to play. These aren’t big battlers. I would have put all my centre-halves up front if I wanted that.
“I thought at half-time it was really important to tell the boys the messages of ‘we can take another touch, we can get it to down and a little bit of guile about us’.
“I’ve got some good players. I’m known for big men and long balls sometimes, and I’ve been in the past with Akinfenwa and the like back in my day, so I know how effective that can be, but I haven’t got those players anymore.
“I’ve got Vokesy, who’s a cultured footballer who makes it stick, and Josh and Nev up front who can play, so we needed to get the ball down and play a little bit more, not be scared of this, just this battle that we ended up in, and fair play to Bromley.
“They’ve sucked us into a bit of a war and they will win that nine out of ten times, because that’s what they’re good at, but then if you play total football, I think we’d win nine out of ten.
“We had to find a way of bringing the football back in and the switches of play and the one-on-one down the wings and through balls, and I thought at the end we looked quick, we looked like a quick side, and that was really important. I love my pacey players, and we looked like we could break at any time quick.
“We had to still defend a torrent of set-pieces, which you do there, but I tell you what, 2-0 down at half-time at Bromley, you’d write a lot of clubs off here. You’d write a lot of clubs off, but not Gillingham, and that’s the reason why. Those lot in that stand, and those lot in that dressing room, don’t write us off, because we’re good.”
Andrews had a good chance first-half to get a goal back, denied by the keeper, but nodded in to score after 56 minutes. Clark’s penalty came on 98 minutes.
Ainsworth said: “It was brilliant to see us come back in the game.
“Josh Andrews in the first half was unlucky, a great save from the keeper, and he’ll be disappointed with that one, but it was a good save.
“We cleared one off the line, Clarkie with a great header, so we could have still lost that game.
“But the courage and I don’t want to swear, but you know what I’m talking about, the size of those to get back in the game, they were unbelievable to show that and the spirit, the togetherness.”
It was a sell-out crowd at Hayes Lane, with the away crowd delirious at the end as Clark scored and celebrated in front of them.
“The fans were absolutely superb, never stopped singing,” said the Gills boss.
“We were 2-0 down and they’re singing, they’re getting behind us, and I’m thinking this is brilliant, this is what they understand.
“I said they’re good fans, they’re knowledgeable fans. They could see we were up against it, it was a little bit like that, but once we settled it a bit, we were a better team.”
Substitute McCleary was adjudged to have been fouled by the keeper for the penalty – although replays suggested it was harsh on Bromley.
Ainsworth said: “Whether it is or not, it’s dubious, obviously, on Sky they’re saying the replays don’t look as bad, but the referee’s got to make the decision, he’s given us a penalty, we’ve had it against us, so I’m not going to grumble.
“To get back in it was super special, and in front of those fans, who will have gone home happy.”
