Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth admitted their defensive blunder in the first half was a killer, and the home keeper didn’t help their cause either.
Notts County beat the Gills 1-0 thanks to a goal from Scott Robertson in the opening half, and a valiant effort after the break was scuppered by goalkeeper James Belshaw, who saved several efforts, including a superb stop to deny newcomer Ronan Hale with a late equaliser.
“We’ve made one terrible mistake from a set-piece,” admitted the Gills boss.
“We’ve got to take responsibility because we organise them at set-plays. We work on this and [say], ‘You keep with your men until the set-piece is totally finished’. We didn’t. That’s the penalty we paid.
“[It’s] a mess on a set-piece and we’ve got to be better at it. We’ve worked on them in training and I’ve told the right people the right messages after that because I wasn’t happy.
“There was a man with 15 yards of space in our own box after a corner. We’ve got to be better at that.”
The Gills came out fighting in the second half and took the game to Notts County, a side who usually dominate on the ball and are used to having things their own way.
“Second half, it was all us,” said the Gills boss. “I thought we were the dominant team without a doubt.
“They had one that flashed across the goal, I think, and he probably should have scored, but we were stretched. We’re chucking everything at the other end.
“I’m really proud, but how we didn’t score, how we didn’t get anything out of the game, is beyond me.
“The subs made a big impact, a big positive impact, I thought. How we haven’t scored at the end there is incredible. All the Notts County players, when that final whistle went, ran over to their keeper hugging him like he’s just won them the game — and he probably has.
“He made some fantastic saves. It was one of those days where he’s just denied us in some really big moments.”
Ainsworth was keen for his players to stay positive after the defeat.
He said: “I just said to the boys, ‘Be proud of that but stop the little mistakes because we go away with a nil-nil. We go home with a point and should have won the game’. That mistake killed us. That really knocks the stuffing out of us.
“It’s a tough place to come. Notts County absolutely take teams to the cleaners at this place. They didn’t do that and I think they know they were fortunate to get a win.
“I’m just gutted we didn’t get anything out of the game.
“I’ll get them up for Saturday again. We’ll go again because that’s all we can do.”
