Neil Harris insists he will not quit after Gillingham drop into bottom two

Posted Sunday, November 20, 2022 by PA

Under-pressure Gillingham manager Neil Harris insists he will not resign despite seeing his side slip into the bottom two after a 2-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Newport.

Harris was in charge when the Gills were relegated from League One last season, and they have won just twice in 18 games so far this season to slump to 23rd in the League Two table – just a point above bottom club Hartlepool.

And the former Millwall and Cardiff boss was clearly unhappy with his players after the match as they allowed Exiles defender Priestley Farquharson to score from two set-pieces either side of half-time.

The centre-back headed in from an Aaron Lewis corner two minutes before the break and then claimed the final touch from a Mickey Demetriou long throw to seal the three points 11 minutes after the restart.

“I feel like the players let me down for 20 minutes, I’ve got to be honest,” said Harris, who saw his side hit the woodwork twice in the first half through Shaun Williams and Max Ehmer.

“Everything we talked about and prepared for, the players didn’t do.

“We got a foothold in the game and should have been ahead and then we didn’t defend a simple set-play.

“We’ve had three really good chances and didn’t score, they’ve had two good chances and scored both.

“I’m fed up with it. It’s the same pretty much every week at the minute.”

Asked if he would resign, Harris said: “I’m fed up with the situation and with the standards at the football club, but I enjoy the challenge. Perversely, I do enjoy my job. So, am I prepared to walk away? No.”

It was a different story for new Newport manager Graham Coughlan, who celebrated his first month in the job with the best performance of his tenure so far.

“I thought we thoroughly deserved it,” said the Irishman, who turned 48 on Friday. “We repelled everything that they threw at us, and we got our head on everything that came into the box. We put our bodies on the line.

“I thought it was a real manful, professional performance from the lads.”

Coughlan praised match-winner Farquharson, who had never previously scored a goal in professional football.

“Priestley has been different class for us,” he said. “He’s trying to claim the second one as well so he’s getting a little bit carried away with himself! But I thought he was a man-mountain today.

“And not just today, since I’ve come through the door. It’s a pleasure working with him and if he keeps churning out performances like he has been, week in and week out, he’ll go on to bigger and better things.”