Gillingham’s game at Barrow will be a test of which team can bounce back stronger.
While the Gills will be looking to respond to last weekend’s sorry home show against Oldham, their hosts have even more reason to want to bounce back.
Barrow are just one point above the League 2 relegation zone, and last Saturday they threw away a two-goal lead at Fleetwood, losing 3-2 after scoring a 94th-minute own-goal.
It’s a game being played by two teams that have repair work to do.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s encounter, Gills boss Gareth Ainsworth said: “We’re ready to go again. All I can ask from the boys is for them to give their best. I always give my best.
“Usually, that best is good enough, but Barrow will be dangerous too. They’ll be tough. They’ll scrap for everything.
“They’re down in the relegation battle, and they want to get out of that.
“[Their manager] Dino Maamria is renowned for getting his team to work hard, and I’m very respectful of the managerial jobs he’s done over the years.
“He’s going to expect a reaction. Being 2-0 up and losing 3-2. That’s as bad as our result, a 3-0 drubbing at home. That’s not good either.
Gillingham’s last six;
“Both managers will be expecting reactions for their team, so it’s not just me playing against a team that doesn’t care. This team is going to care. This team is going to be up for it.
“We’ve got to make sure that we bring that into the equation and be at our best.
“It’s going to be a long trek, but we’re ready. Dino’s team aren’t just fighters and scrappers, they’ll try and play as well.
“We’ve got to be ready for everything on Saturday, and we will be.
“We’re together. You give your best, and that’s what you can do, and that’s always been my mantra.”
League 2 table;
In their last nine games, Barrow have lost eight of them. The Gills have lost five of their last six.
Those defeats for the Gills have seen them drop away from the play-off chase, and they head to a ground that hasn’t been a happy hunting ground.
Gillingham have lost their last four games at Barrow – their last success there coming in 1967.
Last season’s 3-0 defeat in Cumbria led to previous manager John Coleman tearing into his adopted side.
Coleman labelled the performance “an absolute disgrace” and accused the players of not caring and showing “no passion, no fight, no drive and no desire.”
Ainsworth will have a number of players in his squad that featured that day but he won’t be looking back.
He said: “I’ve no relation to that game last year. This is a whole different Gillingham and a whole different management team going up there. Hopefully we can get a win.
“Newport were a bogey team, we beat them twice this year. Hopefully we can get something up at Barrow.
“I’m really looking forward to the journey and seeing what the boys can react like because they’re a good bunch and they’ve won some games this season. Let’s see if they can go and beat Barrow.”
