Steve Lovell felt sorry for fans during Gillingham’s bore draw with Doncaster

Posted Sunday, April 08, 2018 by PA

Gillingham ended their run of three straight defeats with a 0-0 draw against Doncaster but Gills boss Steve Lovell claims he felt sorry for the spectators forced to endure a largely turgid encounter.

Gills striker Conor Wilkinson had the game’s best chances – heading Bradley Garmston’s cross on to the roof of the net and being unable to convert from a tight angle after dispossessing Donny goalkeeper Marko Marosi.

However, the clash at Priestfield failed to ever truly ignite, symptomatic of the fact that the two teams are entrenched in mid-table obscurity with little to play for.

“I feel sorry for people watching the game today! It was a poor game for both teams,” said Lovell.

“[Gills goalkeeper] Tomas Holy hasn’t had a shot of any note to save.

“I thought in the first half we were very, very lacklustre. We’re usually bright and on it.

“It’s a good point as it was a poor game. We got on top in the second half without creating anything.

“I think both teams should be happy with the point as nobody deserved to win it.

“When we had the ball, we gave it away. We didn’t pass it and we didn’t look like we wanted to receive it.

“We’ve got to 50 points – it’s been a while coming in the last few games. Fifty points was our aim when we took over but we’ve got six more games to go and we want to finish on a high.”

Midfielder Tommy Rowe was Doncaster’s most consistent threat as he dragged a low effort inches past the post shortly after the break.

Rovers have now lost just one game in their last six and boss Darren Ferguson was keen to reflect on the positives.

“I thought first half we played very well but didn’t capitalise on the control and dominance we had,” he said.

“The big positive is the clean sheet. Away from home you’ve got to make sure you don’t get beaten and had we have gone ahead in the first half I think it would have been difficult for them to come back.

“I can’t really remember any chances Gillingham had. I thought we looked comfortable but they’re a hard team to play against.

“They started with three at the back and then they matched us up. But we were scary in the first half – we were really dominant.

“They’ve thrown two big lads up front in the second half and went really direct. It caused us problems, we couldn’t get any rhythm. But saying that, we had the best chances.

“The players know where they went wrong – the final decisions they took in the last third, the final pass and the final shot. That’s something we need to work on as we’re always looking to improve.”