Neil Harris salutes Gillingham display in draw with leaders Stevenage

Posted Sunday, October 16, 2022 by PA

Manager Neil Harris believes Gillingham’s first-half performance in their 1-1 draw with Stevenage at Priestfield was one of the best in his tenure.

Despite their good start, Danny Rose put the visitors ahead just before the half-hour mark.

Elkan Baggott levelled five minutes before the break and the second half proved to be a tense affair in which neither side could manage to find a winner.

Harris was pleased his side were able to perform so well in the first half and although they could not manage to claim three points, he was taking plenty of positives.

He said: “The first half was up there with our best performances since I’ve been at the club.

“We showed quality and had chances against a well-drilled side, I thought we dominated it.

“In the second half, it was more backs to the wall and we had to dig in but we defended well and we had a good shape to our play.

“It was a really strong performance and small steps are not to be sniffed at.

“We want to be better; we want to move up the table but our performances are growing, I’m really enjoying seeing what I’m seeing from our players – we’re certainly getting better and better.

“Sometimes it’s more important to get a point given where we are. Priestfield shouldn’t be a nice place to come to – we made it difficult for the top of the table team and that’s how it should be.”

Harris’ counterpart Steve Evans was less pleased with his side’s performance as he made an eagerly awaited return to Priestfield.

But despite not getting the victory, Stevenage are still top of the League Two table, something Evans admits is a feat not to be sniffed at.

He said: “We said to the boys all week that it’s a cup final: Steve Evans comes back to Priestfield.

“It’s been a poor spectacle if you’re watching it as a neutral. If I had to sum it up I’d say there were three poor teams: we were poor, Gillingham aren’t a good team and the officials were shocking.

“We didn’t do enough with the ball. We tried to be competitive, we won our fair share of 50/50s in the middle of the park and if we had scored a second we would have seen how we can play and how they can play.

“I don’t know what’s happened elsewhere and I don’t really care.

“It’s hard getting to the top of any league – it’s even harder when you get there.

“We’re far surpassing where anybody thought we would be but after being the surprise package you have to be the real deal.”