Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth is looking to possibly have as many as three more new faces in his squad by the end of the Transfer Window on Tuesday following the arrival of Lamin Sillah in time to face Northampton Town at MEMS Priestfield on Saturday. 

The Gills will be looking for their first win of the new season when the Cobblers come to Kent at the weekend, and the manager knows just how close that victory was against Walsall on opening day but also conceded that he was concerned by the potential scars that conceding three goals so late would leave on his side. Concerns that seemingly were banished after last weekend’s very creditable draw at Fleetwood Town.  

“Mentally wow!” exclaimed the Gills boss. “I had to pick a few people up after Walsall and the only time I had to do that during the analysis was at eighty plus minutes. We’d been really good but after the eightieth minute, my video session was almost every single minute – I’m like this isn’t good enough boys!  

“You owe me a performance some of you and they did on Saturday – they really did! It was a different mental view from me… Look at that recovery, they’re dying, they’re throwing themselves in front of the ball, they are not letting people score any goals!  

“There were a few crosses that went in especially late on but no! We weren’t letting them score on Saturday and for a home side I don’t think they had a shot on target and that was testament to me saying to that back three – or back five – if you do a job, we will take something home and they did and I am very proud of them. Mentally we definitely grew a little bit last weekend, one hundred percent!” 

“The next thing we have to overcome is getting three points here on Saturday, and we are trying to do it. The last one was Shrewsbury the last day of last season, but before that we can count on one hand after Christmas how many we have won here at Priestfield… and that just isn’t good enough!” 

“I want this place to be a fortress but we have to give the fans the ammunition – I have to give the fans the ammo as we can’t ask them to make it a fortress for us, it has to come from us first and then they will come on board.  

“They are always on board having said that, but I want teams to look at coming here and say, “I don’t want to go there – it’s horrible!” And that’s what I want opposition teams to do, and I will get there for no other reason than this place is a tough place to come and play us in front of them!” 

“Every one of the squad loves playing in front of these fans – the new boys are blown away by the support. They can’t believe how much they travel – we are in League Two and take 350 to Fleetwood on a summer Saturday where there’s probably a few family BBQ’s being missed at home and it’s not just the men, we see a lot of girls following us as well.  

“The whole thing is absolutely brilliant and the way that they travel is brilliant. And I feel that I owe them as I want to deliver as they have been right behind me on the whole. They knew the effort last week was good.” 

“We now need to get three points here and start winning games at home – it’s imperative! Sounds simple and so easy but we have the advantage where we have incredible fans, we are used to the environment, and I just don’t want teams coming here thinking they can turn us over just by turning up! Those days have gone!” 

Looking at Saturday’s squad, Ainsworth confirmed that the Gills faithful will finally see keeper Ollie Wright as the Southampton loanee is now available. “We didn’t want to rush Ollie back and have him then suffer something recurring!” Missing though definitely are skipper Liam Gordon and Kadeem Harris whilst Bradley Dack and Ethan Coleman are still not ready and with the departures of Sam Gale and Seb Palmer-Holden, Ainsworth knows his squad is now light with the transfer window closing on Tuesday.  

“If there’s any good thing about losing Liam and Kadeem the way that we did it’s the fact that there’s still a week of the window to go, but if it had happened at Chesterfield (who the Gills visit on Tuesday in the hours before the window closes) I really don’t know where we would be!” 

“We have had our eyes on a few – we have got Lamin in for Saturday and then maybe even another two or three after that as we are down in numbers. There’s a bit to do – recruitment are helping massively and Brad and Shannon have been great!”