Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth admitted the performance wasn’t up to scratch on Saturday but saluted the quality on show from the match-winner.
Garath McCleary struck to clinch a stoppage-time winner for the Gills, picking out the top corner from outside the box. It was a moment of class in a game where the Gills struggled to create any other big moments.
Report: Gillingham 1 Shrewsbury 0
“The performance was bang average,” admitted the Gills boss. “I don’t like saying that, but I’m going to be honest.
“We can play so much better than we did. We passed a few out of play. We didn’t win as many second [balls] as I wanted.
“We didn’t have as many gilt-edged chances as they did. They should have scored a couple.
“If we get those chances, I think we score, because I think my strikers are good but we don’t create those chances.
“We have to get players in who can help create those chances. Having said that, [there was] a bit of magic from Garath McCleary and he’s a class act.
“I thought it was a fitting way to win the game for Sam Vokes, [in] his retirement [game]. It’s his best mate here and a close friend for many years.”
McCleary turns 39 on May 15 but when he was handed a chance on a plate, he took it. He ran onto a pass from a Shrewsbury player and bent the ball home from distance.
Prior to that, Shrewsbury had the best of the chances, hitting the post, missing a sitter and seeing Glenn Morris make a couple of good saves.
Ainsworth said: “They had a couple of guilt-edged chances where I thought, wow, if they take them, it’s game over for us.
“Garath is something different. I brought him to the club because I know he’s got that X-factor at times. He’s got something different. Same as Ronan Hale.
“It’s just now creating the better chances for them and getting them more chances.
“I believe we’ve got players in the building who will make a difference but we haven’t got enough yet. That’s what I want to do.
“But what a quality goal from an unbelievable guy. And in 10 years, we’ll probably be doing Gareth McCleary’s retirement! He seems to be like Peter Pan. He’s unbelievable.”
The Gills are expected to announce their retained list on Sunday morning and Ainsworth saluted the players who he’s been working with this season.
“I’m so proud of the boys,” he said. “With what they’ve done this season. It’s not been easy.
“We’ve dumbed down a few things that have happened. The [heart] surgery for me wasn’t great and trying to come back a little bit earlier, because I could see things were difficult. That was tough.
“The injury list we had was really tough and we’ve got to sort it out next season. We’ve finished the same position as last season? So, no progress. But I want it next year.
“I want to have a big summer on the recruitment side of things. The talks have gone on behind the scenes.
“You’ll find out tomorrow [Sunday] morning that there’s some players in that team [against Shrewsbury] that are not here next year. That’s a testament to them as well. That’s hard to manage but we got the win.”
