Fresh from signing a contract extension Craig Fagan previews Saturday’s clash with Swindon
Gillingham take on old rivals Swindon Town in Sky Bet League 1 at MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Saturday and with both sides suffering defeat in their last outings, Craig Fagan is expecting a close encounter, saying, “It will be a tough game.“They lost on Tuesday, 2-0 to Stevenage, and no team likes to lose two games back-to-back so they’ll be up for the test of coming here. We’ve been pretty good at home, the Wolves game was a good example of that, so it will be a good test for them. We won’t disappoint them, we’ll definitely be turning up after the disappointing result we had against Colchester.”
Having played at Priestfield several times as an opposition player, the pacey forward admits he always found it a challenging venue and Craig believes the team must capitalise on that, explaining, “When I’ve played here before, the supporters are very close to the pitch and it is intimidating in that sense.
“Being here now, and playing a lot of games, I quite enjoy that but I do understand why teams coming here don’t fancy it that much. We have to use that to our advantage and I’m sure the home fans will be giving them a bit of stick, in the right way of course, and making it uncomfortable for them on Saturday.”
Fagan heads into the game fresh from signing a contract extension that will keep him with the Gills for the remainder of the 2013/14 campaign and he admits he was delighted to sign, adding “I’ve enjoyed my time so far, I’m feeling fitter and I’ve enjoyed being around the place.
“I want to be part of it and I’m really happy to be here for the rest of the season. With the number of new loan signings coming in there’s a freshness around the place. They are trying to impress in training and it’s picked the level up again and everyone’s looking forward to the next game coming up.”
“The teams that I’ve played in at this level and above, I think you need a bit of a mix in your squad. The older heads guide the younger lads, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well, making sure they look after themselves and prepare right for games. I think we have that now and from my personal view, looking at the squad, I think it’s a positive that there is a good blend like that.”