Gills boss delighted with performance despite losing top spot
Justin Edinburgh said he was proud of his players following the 3-2 defeat to Walsall on Saturday.Jason Demetriou snatched all three points for the hosts at Banks’s Stadium in the dying moments with Gillingham having gone two goals ahead in the first half thanks to goals from Bradley Dack and Cody McDonald.
The result sees Walsall replace Gills at the top, but the Manager said he couldn’t have asked for more from his players.
He said: “I thought we played a huge part in a really good game, I thought both teams were excellent and unfortunately what we have inflicted on people of late was done to ourselves.
“It was a great advert for League One Football.
“It was hard to take because I thought the boys were magnificent and roared into a two goal lead but today we haven’t been able to see the game out.
“It was cruel, the lad has gone for an overhead kick and mis kicked it which has ended up at someone’s feet and smashed in. It’s a test in terms of this is the first time this situation has happened to the group.
“We will learn from it, we are hurting but like I said to the players we were in the game and deserved something out of it, but now it’s a case of making sure we bounce back.”
Justin said small elements were to blame for conceding two of the goals, and he believed Walsall equalising before the break had a huge impact on the game.
He added: “It was minor details that hurt us, maybe half a yard to get closer to the shot for the first goal and stopping the cross [for the second], they are minor but we have been punished.
“I thought we were excellent, our game plan was carried out to perfection but their two goals [in the first half] made a real big swing in the game.
“They started the second half very strong but I thought as the game grew on we would maybe go on and win. It’s difficult but we have to accept our medicine and move on.
“I’m proud of the players, it just wasn’t our day.”
Gillingham now switch their focus to two cup games in the next 10 days, but Edinburgh is satisfied where his team are in the table.
He said: “We’ll go into the second week of November third in the league and a point off the top which is a fantastic achievement for this group. We are growing and will get better.”