Martin praises team ethic and determination for Rovers win...
Martin Allen said his players deserved all of the credit following the 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Goals from Chris Whelpdale and Deon Burton sealed all three points in what was a strong disciplined display from the Gills, and maintains their two point gap at the top of the league table.
Martin said after the game:
“It was a brilliant goal, a brilliant team performance defensively and it was a fantastic team performance. Was it spectacular? No. Was it beautiful? No.
“But the resolve, the determination and everyone just did their job on our team and it was that teamwork, that team ethic and that commitment to play in a team to make us so hard to break down and keep a clean sheet.
“The Whelpdale goal was quite brilliant from the top drawer. The thing that we have got here is match winners, people that will get you those goals we have got. What we have also got is a unity of men who are committed to our club and committed to playing our way and that makes us strong.
“Mentally they all know what they are doing; they can all play in different positions. To bring another couple of players in during this window like Legge and Gregory we have definitely strengthened our team and that is good.
“I am a very happy manager. It was always going to be a very tricky game after that win at Southend, this was always going to be a tester but that is when your men have to stand up and be counted.”
The Gills fans saw their first glimpse of midfielder Steven Gregory who came on as a second half sub, and although Martin said the player was ready to start, he was reluctant to make any changes to his team.
He said: “I saw him play for Wimbledon at MK Dons three or four weeks ago and he was absolutely superb that day so I had no hesitation when he became available. In that environment that day, which was a difficult day to go out and play football, he coped and was calm.
“He’s very fit, he hasn’t played for about two or three weeks so he may need a couple of days training but I didn’t think it would be fair to change the team from the one that played at Southend.
“I thought it would be unreasonable so we picked the same players and the same team and god bless today we got it right.”
Martin was very happy to see his side keep their second clean sheet in a row, and said one of his main priorities is to ensure his team are difficult to break down.
He said: “We have some good headers of the ball and technically in the middle of the field with Jack Payne and Steven Gregory.
“They can win games and the ethic has been from day one that we will not concede goals and that has always been the basis of any successful team that I know of.
“We’ve worked for hours on the training pitch; we repeat and practice how to defend and how to be patient. No yellow cards today, no dissent, no silly tackles, it was a disciplined unit and there were a lot of players on the bench who can come on and play aswell.
“When we are winning 11 people have to defend that’s it. If 11 people defend it’s difficult to break down and we’ve seen that at all levels but we have some match winners and at set plays we are very strong.
“Everyone knows what everyone else is doing and a lot of credit has to go to the players for their attitude to do it.”