Gills left back praises defensive record following draw at Exeter
Joe Martin admits that having three successive long trips away from home is tough on the players, but says the squad will continue to dig in and get results as they have done all season long.
Martin played all 90 minutes during the Gills 0-0 draw with Exeter on Tuesday evening, and although he felt the team could have played better he also thought gaining a point was a good result at this point in the campaign.
He said: “It wasn’t our best performance by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s another point and it just means it’s another game where they [the chasing pack] struggle to catch us now.
“We went to win the game but at worst we knew we weren’t going to lose and that’s what we achieved.
“The conditions didn’t help us but in the end it didn’t matter.
“We’ve dug in when we have needed to and not conceded. There are some plusses to take, the performance wasn’t the best but it’s a good point.”
The Gills defensive record is the best in the league with just 30 goals conceded all season home and away, and the left back feels this is because everyone is organised and they understand what they need to do.
He added: “We all know our jobs and with Adam, Leggy and Fishy we have all played a lot this year which has helped. We are working hard in training all the time and you can see the organisation, it’s hard for teams to break us down.
“The away form is getting us to where we are this year and we hope our home form will pick up aswell so it’s looking positive.
“I do my job defensively, tonight probably wasn’t my best performance going forward but we dug it out in the end.
“We are all fit and we are all looking good at the minute. We all cover each other and there are not too many teams who can give us that many problems at the minute.
“That’s something that the gaffer really wants us to be patient with and it’s working. Teams just can’t break us down; the defence has been brilliant this year.
“Playing in week in, week out means if you have a poor game you learn from it and it definitely helps.”
Next up for Gillingham is a long trip north to Morecambe before they return to the road to take on Rochdale on Tuesday, and Joe says although it will take its strain on the players they know the finishing line is within reach.
He said: “It’s a tough week mentally and physically. There is a lot of travelling but you just need to be strong and come out at the other end and then you’re nearly at the end of the line.
“When you get home you need to rest up, that’s a key thing and you need to eat and sleep well. It takes a bit out of you the travelling but when we get home we can make the most of it and at the end of the season you can have a bit of time with the family.”
Watch Joe Martin's press conference in full and activate your 14-day free trial of Gills Player here.
Read what Manager Martin Allen had to say following the game here.