Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth has spoken to KSN this week ahead of a weekend trip to Fleetwood Town, a week after one of the most baffling performances that the MEMS Priestfield has seen for a while. 

Last weekend’s home defeat to Walsall had obviously left a bad taste. The manager conceded that towards the end of last season there were also some defensive horror shows, and after Saturday’s late collapse against Walsall, a defiant Ainsworth said, “I am telling you now, it’s not “here we go again” after what happened last year!  

“There is no way that you can match that performance last Saturday with the Cambridge or Bromley from last season – that was for eighty minutes I want to put my name too, we created so much and did enough to win two games, we just had to put the ball in the net.  

“The sucker punch was the first goal – we lost our skipper and I thought we were a little bit at sea; we have to defend that better! What I did not like was the collapse after that and that is mentally something that I have addressed now as the boys cannot go like that again!” 

“The fans were brilliant; they reacted in the right way – started singing and getting behind us even at one-nil down and I really appreciate that. In fact, they were probably better than some of my players were as some of the players probably had an “oh no this is last year again!” and that is something that we have to get rid of!” 

“And I want to put that right on Saturday, I know the fans will demand it and I am also not stupid, my job is about results and that would have been a great victory on Saturday and now we’ll take a result on Saturday no matter what but I know that if we keep performing like we did for the first eighty minutes all season, we will win more than we will lose this season!” 

Saturday sees a trip to the Highbury Stadium to face Fleetwood Town and Ainsworth told us, “Saturday is going to be tough, they have played Chesterfield twice in league and cup and beaten them one-nil twice!  

“They are a good side, a decent side just as they were last year! They turned us over here late on and up there I remember Jake Turner saving a penalty – they were a good side last year. We know that they will be strong and physical and aggressive, we know what to expect but I have players who can do more this season than has been done in the past and I’m excited back in my native Northwest.  

“It’s one of longest trips in the season and I know that we will travel with the fans and I want to give them something happy to come home with!” 

“I am sure and I am positive that these boys are good enough to start winning games, three or four more in definitely to add to the good group we have here!” 

The boss then spoke about losing new skipper Liam Gordon early on against Walsall. “After letting Sam Gale go to Barnsley, we really were happy with our solidity at the back but losing Liam like that was a freak.  

“He was going for a header, got a nudge in the back and came down on a severe angle on his leg. The worst was thought as he twisted his knee… all I will say without jumping the gun is that it’s not as bad as we first thought but having said that it is bad enough to me to lose my skipper for a number of weeks definitely.  

“We have to watch this space and I don’t want to give any time frames, I don’t want to give any bad news, it’s not the worst thing that we could have expected and I think everyone can put two and two together where knees are involved.  

“I think we have avoided that somehow, hopefully we are somewhere else and hopefully the medical team will handle things and knowing Liam, he will probably declare himself fit to play two or three weeks before he’s ready! He is a great character, a fantastic leader and tactician so there are now plans in place to be signing someone to replace Liam and Sam.” 

Seb Palmer-Holden left the Club on Wednesday to join Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, and the manager explained the move by saying, “It’s a great opportunity for Seb. The financials really stack up for the club which is great and I think we can safely say that we have done a good job with Seb with his move – it’s a success story for us because of bringing him in, making him a saleable asset and like I said the finances stack up well for the club!” 

“We have to make sure that we replace him now with the right player but what an opportunity for Seb and what I will say is “thank you Seb for all your efforts!” He gave me absolutely everything every single day and what a great lad to deal with!  

“Hopefully he will go on and do very well up north – he’s got a European pathway to be involved with now too that maybe no-one saw at the start of the season!” 

“The thinking behind it, not just myself but everyone at the football club was that this is the right deal for Seb, definitely for the club, but now we have to replace him.”