Bonner | "You can't unravel as a team like we did"

Bonner Harrogate '24

Gillingham manager Mark Bonner shared his frustration following the 2-1 defeat to Harrogate Town at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Saturday.

Gills had taken the lead through Tim Dieng but the visitors struck twice in 12 minutes to register victory.


Bonner said it was disappointing not to have got anything from a game in which they took the lead.

 

Thoughts on the game:


"I thought we were disgraceful when we went ahead, there were two good moments afterwards but the same pattern emerged again that we threw a game away. We have done it far too often and it was a really average game. I thought the last 30 minutes were awful and I thought we deserved to be booed off.


"The defending for the first goal was awful, we drifted off our man and they scored a tap-in, then for the second we did not track the runner.


"We have lost too many games for the team we are trying to become.


"Marcus Wyllie should have had a penalty, we should have had a corner at 1-2 instead of a goal-kick. You need moments like this to push you forward, for the first goal it came from a corner; the Rainham End roared and we scored."

 

Mentality:


"The best teams stack results together and if you play us here you will know how to beat us due to the patterns.


"The first goal is pivotal, but not when you play like we did. If it was a draw you would still say it was a performance you didn't like, it's not the personality we want to build as a team.


"Too often today we weren't the team we wanted to be.


"Lots of change is needed, we need to see who wants to fight and stay with it and do the job. We need to rely on the integrity of the players; the team we were at the start of the season showed unbelievable desire to get through a game. 


"We know the potential is there but you can't unravel as a team like we did.


"We need to get the balance right, we need to fight with teams during the game but also dominate and we need to become more of a threat."