Martin Allen satisfied with second successive away draw to keep the club top
Martin Allen said he thought his players were superb following the 1-1 draw against Morecambe on Saturday afternoon.
Bradley Dack’s first league goal for the club on 52 minutes levelled matters following Jack Redshaw’s strike just before the interval, and the result keeps Gillingham top by four points with their game in hand against Rochdale being played on Tuesday evening.
Following the game Martin said: “It was a great point; we played really well in the first half and made a couple of opportunities. They have only lost here once in five months so it’s a tough place to come and play football.
“The pitch was a bit heavy today but we didn’t deserve to be 1-0 down at half time that’s for sure – they only got near our goal once.
“In the second half the legs and the energy that we put on with Charlie, Dack and Robinson – the running power of those lads told.
“Dack has been due a goal for ages, he keeps getting in there so we knew he was going to score soon. We were going to rest him today actually but then in training on Friday he scored three goals in the nine v nine that we played at the end.
“He looked bright and sharp and I was thinking that he might not be able to cope with three in a week but in the second half we stepped it up a little bit.
“We played higher up the pitch and were perhaps a bit more direct to get in to the final third quicker and it was an exquisite finish wasn’t it? The side foot in to the bottom corner and its technique that he has practised on the training ground, it was fantastic.
“Credit to all of the players, they were superb.
“We need to show them encouragement to keep them going – supporting them, backing them and lifting them. Young players like Dack and Allen want to run all over the pitch non-stop but we’ve been beaten in the last five minutes of games on a few occasions and we don’t want that to happen again.
“We had to keep Allen, who was absolutely champing at the bit to play, in the middle of the pitch. He wanted to get the winner, I could see it but we had to try and keep him in there with Frampton.
“I rested Gregory today – he’s been superb for us for a few weeks now. East played at right midfield the other day and he’s not a midfield player, he’s a full back.
“That was tough on him and I thought Richardson did really well in the first half and nearly scored but we needed the energy that Charlie has got.
“He beat the club record on Wednesday for the four mile run and I had a gut feeling to bring him on at half time but Richardson did play well.
“Charlie Allen has come on as a substitute in several games and has changed it. He changed the whole ethos with the running power and pace he has got and that was the difference in the second half without a shadow of a doubt.”
To read our official match report click here.
To go over the action as it happened click here.
More reaction from Martin, and from goal scorer Bradley Dack, will appear on the club website tomorrow.