Saturday will hopefully be a special game for Gillingham defender Max Ehmer as he edges closer to making his 400th appearance for the club and he wants a win to celebrate.
After two long road trips to the Northwest including a near five-hundred-mile round midweek trip to Barrow, Gillingham return to Priestfield on Saturday to host Tranmere Rovers.
And skipper Max Ehmer has been talking to KSN, reflecting on Tuesday’s defeat and the arrival of Rovers in Kent.
“Tuesday was slightly frustrating on our part as I do not think that we were at our best, whether that was because of fatigue or whatever it was, we will not use it as an excuse as everyone went on the pitch feeling good and confident.
“So, we know what we have done in terms of our own general play and the two goals that we conceded, so it is something that is being reviewed and we will look to put it right for Saturday.
“We had to think of ways to break Barrow down and I do not think we did that enough, we did not as we did not score! We didn’t create enough chances; we didn’t put enough crosses in the box and that’s down to not moving the ball fast enough in periods of the game.
“There’s going to be all sorts of games between now and the end of the season and it’s making sure that we apply ourselves right in each one, in terms of what we do on the ball, as off the ball and the work rate, never gets questioned, it’s just how can we have enough quality on the ball to break teams down.”
Looking ahead to the weekend’s visit of Tranmere to Priestfield, the Gills will not need reminding of the 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.
“I didn’t play in that game,” said Ehmer smiling, “but they looked strong, good on the counterattack so like everyone knows there really is no easy games in this division.
“We will have our game plan as we always do and will be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and make sure that we are fully set going into the game.”
“I would say we’re in a false position in the League, but we as a squad are probably slightly under achieving, but before Barrow we were hitting a good bit of form so I’d say that if we can carry that form on from now until the end of the season, it’s the best time to do it.
“All the boys in the dressing room know that we have got the quality, we know that we’ve got boys who have played at higher levels, there’s experience down there, there is youth down there, so we’ve a mixture of everything!”
Ehmer made his 390th Gillingham appearance in Cumbria in midweek – a fact that clearly means a lot to the skipper especially that he needs “just” another ten games to become just the seventh player in the Club’s history to the 400 appearance mark.
“It is a special goal for me to aim at, but I look forward to one game at a time and if I get to 400 this season, I am doing something right to play every game between now and the end of the season.
“But within that time, I want to get results as well I do not want to dilly dally through games and just get to 400, I want it to mean something come the four hundredth game, whether it’s promoted, in the play-offs, whatever it is.
“So, it is making sure that each game that I play, I am doing something right, getting results, then four hundred takes care of itself!”