Gillingham prepare to face Crewe Alexandra and Harrogate Town over the Easter weekend, looking to build on last weekends come from behind win at Morecambe and climb back into the League Two play-off places. 

Head Coach Stephen Clemence saw his charges win 3-2 last to move level with Crawley Town who currently occupy the prized seventh place in the table going into the holiday weekend, and the Head Coach is only too well aware of the significance of Good Friday’s trip to Priestfield by fifth placed Crewe.

“If we win, we’re three points behind them,” Clemence quoted to KSN this week. “It’s nice winning away from home and them coming back here to Priestfield looking for back-to-back wins and that’s the full focus of everyone in the dressing room!” 

“Winning away from home is never easy and Morecambe were difficult opponents, but the togetherness of the group was absolutely fantastic to come from behind twice and score three goals away from home! But to move anywhere in this League you have to put back-to-back results together and that is the aim now going into Friday.

“The lads are feeling good about Crewe, I have seen that in training this week and we are really looking forward to the game.” 

“My focus must be what Crewe are going to do against us and how we are going to beat them and that has been the focus this week. They will be difficult opponents as they have obviously had a very good season and they play good football, but so do we and I expect it to be a very good game!” 

“Crewe is actually close to my home of the past few years, and I attended a number of Crewe games earlier in the season when I started watching League One and League Two football, so I have seen a lot of them! They made a few changes in January, but they have always had a good football tradition and produced a number of good players down the years. But Friday is all about us and how we beat them, and I believe that we have the players in the dressing room and the told to do that!” 

The Head Coach then issued a rallying cry to the Priestfield faithful. “Let’s get this place rocking,” he said, “let us make this a really difficult place for Crewe to come on Friday that would be fantastic. We are going to need their support and we need the three points!” 

Squad news for the weekend and Clemence confirmed that Jonny Williams will have a fitness test before the weekend. Dom Jefferies recovery continues, and the Head Coach hopes that he will return for the next home game against Barrow whilst January signing Josh Andrews could be in line for his home debut after coming on as a sub at Morecambe last weekend.