Gillingham’s improved midweek display has given manager Gareth Ainsworth renewed hope for the future.
Ainsworth had more senior players back in the starting line-up against Swindon on Tuesday night, and he’d asked for ‘character, fight and passion’ from his side after five-goal drubbings in their previous two games.
The Gills were beaten 2-0 but Ainsworth was seeing beyond the result.
“The future looks great for me,” he said. “It will come. There’ll be one or two changes in there and maybe a few more [signings in] the summer but I’ve got stuff to build on, which is great.
“Everyone’s getting slowly fit again. That’s going to be really important for this run-in, because I want to finish with pride.
“I want to finish with points and having a say in what happens at the top end and the bottom end. We just have to keep going.”
The Gills remain 16th in League 2 and have now lost three games in a row against teams challenging for promotion.
Ainsworth admitted the previous performances had been tough to watch, and some fans have been calling for his sacking, but he’s far from down.
He said: “We have to keep grafting, keep performing and I’ll keep going.
“No one will outdo my positivity and my spirit,” he continued.
“Football is really, really important. It’s not the most important thing in the world but I know how important it is for Gillingham fans. Believe me, I hurt with you.
“I know how you feel. I really do. The empathy that I’ve got for you. Believe me, I hurt on that touchline. It’s not like I’m just brushing this off. But the performance will get results. Stay with us.”
He added: “They [supporters] can have a go, but they’ll never knock me. They’ll never outdo my positivity.
“I’ve been in worse situations than this.
“I’m pleased that we turned a big corner and it wasn’t unexpected when you put your regulars in the team and your performance levels lift. The issue would have been if they hadn’t have lifted.
“But now I’m pleased and safely behind those five-nils and five-ones. I’m hoping there aren’t any more of them to come.”
Gillingham are at home to Bristol Rovers this Saturday.
Chairman Brad Galinson is back from the States and was there to watch Tuesday’s game at Priestfield.
He’d previously asked fans to “stick with us” and doubled down on that message prior to their midweek match.
In his programme notes, addressing the fans, he wrote: “Despite our current run the effort you [the fans] make is outstanding and it doesn’t go unappreciated. I feel your hurt; I feel your pain.
“We are in a really sticky patch at the moment and it is very easy to feel sorry for ourselves, but these are the times we must all unite, remember who we are, and stand tall.
“We know what needs to be done, we know what the issues are, and they will be sorted. However, in the short term, we need results.”
