Boss Gareth Ainsworth hopes new signing Ronan Hale can help fire Gillingham back into a promotion chase.
Successive league losses, against Bromley and Notts County, have left the Gills 11 points adrift of the top seven heading into a weekend game against out-of-form Tranmere at Priestfield.
Gillingham will need to improve their form drastically to get back in the race, but Hale’s arrival – along with commanding defender Omar Beckles and midfielder Cameron Antwi – has given the manager reason to be optimistic that they can still be in the fight this season.
“I think we’re going to get plenty of goals off Ronan,” said Ainsworth after watching him play his first full game for the Gills on Tuesday night.
“I’m really pleased with that signing and I can’t thank [owners] the Galinsons enough for backing me on that one. I think he’s definitely going to be a top goalscorer for us.
“I just hope we can get some [goals from him] towards the end of this season now, just to give us a chance maybe of getting in these play-offs. That’s where I want to be. I want to get up there.
“I want to try and make a charge for these. Hunt these teams down. If not, then next season I know what the remit is. I’m up for that.”
Hale joined the Gills from Ross County for an undisclosed fee last week and came close to opening his account at Notts County – twice denied by impressive saves from the home keeper.
“I thought he had a good game,” said Ainsworth, who played Hale and Seb Palmer-Houlden either side of big striker Josh Andrews.
“He ends up in all sorts of goal-scoring positions – and that’s what he is. He’s a centre-forward. He’s an out-and-out centre-forward.”
Hale scored 12 goals for Scottish Championship side Ross County this season, and was playing right up until his move to the Gills.
“He’s very sharp,” commented Ainsworth.
“He’s getting in some really good goalscoring positions. It’s only a matter of time before he starts scoring goals for us. He’s a great lad, really lively.
“I think Ronan’s devastated he hasn’t scored [on Tuesday] but that’s fine. We’ll keep creating the chances. We’ll get there.
“He’s just one piece of the puzzle that we want to try and get this complete jigsaw to go ‘Next level. Here we go’.”
League 2 table;
Ainsworth is confident his side are moving in the right direction despite a tough last few months.
“We’re chasing that top seven,” the manager insisted.
“Sometimes it’s nice to be the hunter. We were hunted at the end of September when we got caught. There’s a long way to go in the season yet.
“This is a big plan, this is a longer plan and where we were probably last year, I think we’re in a much better place. I think we can see that and now it’s just adding that next bit to it. Once we can do that, we’ll be a good team, a real formidable team.
“We’re starting now to creep forward. I know it was a defeat [on Tuesday] so people will be saying, ‘We’ve just lost’. But I think we’re creeping forward in performance levels and levels of the team.
“I think we’re going to be a fantastic team. But it’s going to take that little bit of time. They’re all gelling together.”
Looking ahead to this Saturday, Ainsworth’s men play a Tranmere side who have lost their last five games.
Ainsworth said: “It’s League 2. So, you’ve got to respect everybody. But we’re back at home. We need to put the result from last weekend right.
“The boys will be up for it. Especially if they can continue in the form they finished the game [on Tuesday] night. “
