Martin looks ahead to Aldershot visit...
Gills Manager Martin Allen says the game against Aldershot will provide a stern test for his players at the weekend, but hopes they can get the three points required to potentially extend their lead at the top of the table.
The Shots, who are currently second from bottom, have lost their last five games but Martin says the players need to concentrate on their own game and hope the result takes care of itself.
He said: “Every game we play is a challenge and we still need to win the game, compete, play good football and take your chances when they come.
“You have to earn the right to play, it’s the same week in week out and they have their threats and dangers and they have some good players.
“Every team we play against we have them watched, one of us tries to get out and watch them but we don’t spend a great deal of time on it and with some of the teams we haven’t even had them watched.
“We tell the players a bit of information about the opposition but to try and concentrate wholeheartedly on what we do and how we play.
“We have to make the best with the players we have, we need to make sure they are on top form and if they are and we win it’s as simple as that.
“We have more than one person who is out injured but I will keep that to myself and all will be revealed at two o’clock Saturday.”
Martin thanked the fans who have made the trips to MEMS Priestfield in previous games and says the fans can see the efforts the players have been putting in.
He said: “This Saturday all I want to do is to see our team do well. Every person that comes and pays is great, if we get more than one, two, three hundred or four thousand- in time they will come. The supporters’ response to the players after the game we didn’t win was great, they gave them a standing ovation as they came off and that’s a mark of how far the players have come.
“It’s also a mark of the respect the supporters have for the players’ efforts and that’s what we have to build. It doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time and it has to evolve.
“The players can feel the vibe, the supporters can feel it, I can and a good performance on Saturday will help it to snowball. We are three points clear so on Saturday we will win again and we’ll go six points clear at the top of the league, wouldn’t it be lovely?”
Martin watched a selection of first team players join the development squad for a game against Tonbridge Angels on Tuesday night, and was pleased with he saw from both the senior members of the squad and the younger boys coming through following a 2-0 win.
He said: “It was mainly to watch our development players that have been working really hard with Mark Patterson and a bit of work with myself in the last couple of weeks.
“Darren Hare has done a great job with the youth players so I was able to see the good youth players and then we had Strevens, Montrose, Davies and Tommy Forecast all playing.
“Patto had a brilliant team spirit, we were well organised and played some great football. It was lovely for me to sit back and watch it with Darren and watch the players put in a really good performance.
“We were well looked after by the people at the club, it was a good game and a good occasion.
“We will be looking to get into more clubs and we will try and take some of our first team players who do need games. It was great for our young players to be involved in that and it’s something we will look to do on a regular basis.”