Gillingham will ‘respect’ point after tough draw at Fleetwood – Mark Bonner

Posted Sunday, August 25, 2024 by PA

Gillingham boss Mark Bonner was pleased despite his side being held to a goalless draw away to Fleetwood.

The Gills went top despite just picking up a point on their travels to the Lancashire coast.

“It’s a really good point,” said Bonner.

“It’s one that we are definitely going to respect because it was as tough a game as we thought it would be.

“It was really hard for us. In the first half, we couldn’t get out and we didn’t get enough pressure high up the pitch.

“I think the biggest problem today was that we turned the ball over so quickly. We were, therefore, relying on singular moments on the counter-attack rather than enough periods of control.

“I felt that we finished the strongest and looked the more likely to get something in the last 10 minutes. I thought we chased the game really well in the end. I love that mentality to try and win.

“To come away again and keep a clean sheet and defend the box as well as we did at times – we might have got a bit fortunate on a couple, but I think that they did too.

“We had a couple of really good moments that we might have taken and been a bit more clinical on. We are certainly happy to take something away off the back of last week (victory at Morecambe) as well.”

Frustrated Fleetwood manager Charlie Adam was disappointed his side did not take all three points.

“I think it is two points lost if you see how we played the game,” admitted Adam.

“We can be better, we can improve and definitely at the top end of the pitch we built up good, we got into good positions but we just never created the right amount of chances in the right moment.

“It’s frustration but a clean sheet at home – it’s a positive. I don’t think we moved the ball quickly enough in the first half.

“Mark set his team up really well and we knew in transition if we were not good enough behind the ball then they would cause us problems and there were one or two times that they did. They are a good side and they have a threat.

“We will analyse what we can do better, we are undefeated in the three league games. We will look at it but, overall, we are happy with the clean sheet.

“Winning breeds confidence and you can see that with this group of players. We didn’t lose today, we got a point and we move on.”