Gillingham’s manager thanked those who backed him and the team after picking up a much-needed point on Friday.
It may not have been a win, but a 2-2 draw at promotion-chasing Walsall and a more encouraging performance was just the tonic Ainsworth’s side needed after a tough run of results.
“We’re getting there,” said Gills boss Gareth Ainsworth. “It wasn’t perfect, obviously we conceded two goals, but to come back from 1-0 down, to go in front and score a cracking first goal and then an opportunist one from Seb [Palmer-Houlden], that was brilliant.
“The fans were absolutely superb, ‘thank you’. It’s been tough, and there’s no hiding from that and I’ll front it up every time, but we all needed that, fans, players, me, but I’ll keep working, I’ll keep pushing, I’ll keep striving.
“[It’s been] tough, very tough, and thank you to everyone who’s still by us.
“I’ve had a lot of people coming up to us going, ‘Gareth, keep going because we know what you’re trying to do’, and believe me, there’s going to be changes.
“I need to make changes here, and I want everyone to be excited for next season.
“This season is ending in five or six games, not with the points total that all the fans want, I’m sure the owners want more, I want more, but again, give us a chance.
“I think there’s some big things going to happen at this football club, I know there’s some big things going to happen at this football club. Get excited about next year, that’s what I want to say.”
The Gills were trailing 1-0 at the break against Walsall and staring at a sixth straight defeat – but they turned it around.
Ainsworth’s side were level when Ronan Hale finished off an impressive forward move and Palmer-Houlden pounced on a defensive blunder to put the Gills 2-1 up.
Walsall got back into it with a goal from a corner and both sides had chances to snatch the win.
Ainsworth said: “I had a bit of a go at half-time because I didn’t think we played forward enough, I thought we were very negative and going a bit safe. I don’t want safe, I want exciting.
“I want front-foot, I want forward play, and that was shown in that first goal, I thought it was superb.
“If we defend a corner better, I think we take the game maybe, and that would have been a fantastic win, but this is a team that’s going for the play-offs and we’ve matched them, more than matched them at times, and we’re not at full strength yet.
“Armani Little’s still out [suspended], Robbie McKenzie, Ethan Coleman, and Omar Beckles [injured], some big names that are still out and still on the sidelines, who would be in my starting 11, or definitely my 18.
“We’ve stopped the defeat run, which is really important. Now I want to win against Accrington on Monday.
“We will get there, but all I will say is the majority of the fans I know, the huge majority of the fans, and all 400 there [at Walsall], they were with us.
“They never stopped singing, they never stopped shouting. We went over at the end and they got their scarves up and they’re proud to be Gillingham, and I’m proud to be Gillingham.
“There’s no way it helps when we’re not doing well on the pitch. It really frustrates me, and I know it frustrates the fans.
“We’ll change it, but this is a good day because we’re got a point away from home against a promotion contender.”
