Gillingham’s comeback draw with Shrewsbury felt like a victory for manager Gareth Ainsworth.
He’d been disappointed with their first-half performance, trailing 3-1, but some strong words at the break prompted a comeback, and the Gills hit back with a Robbie McKenzie penalty and an Elliott Nevitt equaliser during a dominant second 45 minutes.
Report: Shrewsbury 3 Gillingham 3
“First half we weren’t good enough, we didn’t play,” Ainsworth admitted.
“Second half, outstanding in times, and that’s the difference, we’ve got to bring these together. I think another five minutes we win the game.
“There’s only one team going to score, their keeper is wasting time at 3-3, so they were obviously happy with the point, we were going for it, we wanted to try and win the game at the end there.
“They don’t know when they’re beat. They will keep going and fighting and scrapping. I can take the mistakes because I’m getting the effort, and if any fans want to say they’re not giving effort, come and see me, because they’re giving everything.”
The Gills were 2-0 down after just 22 minutes, and although they got one back through an own-goal, Town added a third before the break, and only a superb Jake Turner save prevented them from getting a fourth.
From the start of the second half, Gills bossed it as Shrewsbury saw their lead slip away.
Ainsworth said: “I was disappointed with the first half, the three goals we’ve conceded, it’s not like us, we’re usually very solid.
“We’ve got the second-best defensive record in the league, but some real bad mistakes, some individual mistakes that I’ve got to pick up. Everyone does it, but it was at crucial times, and the one just before half-time I thought was the killer.
“We lost a couple of fights, a couple of passes were short, we looked a bit nervous and tentative, and that’s not me at all.
“We worked all week on confident play and hitting the target, and when we’re through, one-on-one, and when we’re through, making it count.
“First half, wow, a little bit timid, a little bit like shrinking violets. (Shrewsbury are) a big, strong side. They go very direct, and they knocked the ball forward. I know that’s not (the Shrewsbury manager’s) style, but I think he’s having to do it to try and get results.
“They go long, and the two forwards are very quick, getting bits, and they did that. But I told the boys: ‘We can play football around this team now, we can play’, and we did second half.
“I thought with the conditions, the wind in our favour, kicking to our fans, second-half we were always going to get one, maybe two. I thought we could have had more, we had chances galore.
“We had the chances to hit the target and we limited Shrewsbury to very little that second half. That was the story of the game, but first-half the damage was done, you can’t score three goals away from home and not win the game, that’s criminal, and that’s what we’ve done.”
The Gills have fought back numerous times this season and they had to do so again on Saturday.
Ainsworth said: “The spirit these boys show, the fight, and not just that, the football we played second half, it was fantastic football. Free-flowing, a real tempo.
“I thought we did it really well. Quick set-plays, quick throw-ins, playing down the side, corners, free-kicks galore. Unfortunately, we just ran out of time, but I’m really pleased with the comeback, because it feels like a victory.
“I get billed for a style here and there, but you look at that second half, the amount of crosses Garath McCleary and Remeao Hutton got in, combining down the right-hand side there, and that led to the equalising goal obviously, Nevitt coming off the bench.
“The fans were fantastic, really were, and obviously the Shrewsbury fans, they gave me a bit [of stick], and that’s fine as well. They don’t know the full story.
“I’m totally happy with the result, because we’ve got a point away from home. I just wish it could have been three, because that would have been two wins, two draws in the last four games, and that’s a nice place to be.”
