Keeper says side will bounce back following MK Dons defeat.
Gills stopper Jack Bonham feels the team can learn from their 2-0 defeat at MK Dons on Saturday and has urged Gills to show a reaction on Tuesday against Portsmouth.
Bonham, who pulled off a string of outstanding saves against the Dons, knows Pompey will be a difficult challenge but welcomes the opportunity to get their season back on track.
“Every game is hard in League One,” he said. “There are no easy teams any more. There’s none that you know you can just turn up and take three points off… that’s not happening. There are teams with big resources and funds, we have to just be ready for that.
“We don’t fear anyone. On our day we can beat any side. We have to go out there with that mentality and show a reaction after the MK Dons result.
“The positive is that we have a game on Tuesday, hopefully we can get a win and forget about this one.”
Gillingham had been on an impressive four game unbeaten run prior to the weekend’s defeat and Bonham, 27, has been a key part of that success. The 6ft 4” keeper, capped for the Republic of Ireland U17s, is pleased with the players in front of him this season and believes they will only get better.
He said: “There is such a good chemistry in the team this year. We still have a lot of work to do. The defenders are still very young. Zech’s still learning, Jack Tucker’s still learning. Connor and Jackson have done really well in their positions.
“It was disappointing to lose after the very good start we have had. MK Dons were better than us on the day. We just have to keep working hard and keep gelling and hopefully get some clean sheets in the next few games.“
Portsmouth have suffered a frustrating start to their season, picking up mixed results consisting of two wins, two draws and two defeats. Bonham, however, does not look at the league table when judging a team this early and knows Gillingham will need to put in a big performance.
“I think the league positions lie this time of year,” he warned. “There are teams at the bottom that have done really well. Every game is a battle. We need to keep working hard.
“It is just about reaction now, reactions are so important in football.”