Neil Harris took the positives as Gillingham battled for a point with Sheffield Wednesday at Priestfield on Saturday.

Despite not being able to find the net in three of their last four games and having only scored once in that time, The Gills showed that they were more than a match for the play-off chasing Owls.

In a game of few clear cut chances, Gillingham more than matched their well supported opponents and the point sees them climb out of the League One relegation zone after AFC Wimbledon lost 3-1 at Cheltenham Town.

Having seen his side put up the fight to lift them one place in the league, Harris was pleased with what he had witnessed:

“I said in the week we were playing the Man City of league one. The performance from the players was heroic – a lot of quality, a clean sheet mentality. The only thing that was missing was a goal.”

“It’s a performance that builds confidence and belief. I thought we controlled the game, and you have to take pride in that performance. We went toe-to-toe with arguably the best side in the division.”

“The performance gives us confidence and belief. When we get game plans right, we can match anyone in this division.”

“We’ve not achieved anything yet, but it’s a step in the right direction. Other teams have games in hand so it can change quickly but all we can do is take care of our business. But it means a lot.”

Backed by a vocal Priestfield support that have put their differences aside with chairman Paul Scally to get behind Harris’ side, the Gillingham manager was pleased to have has the fans’ backing:

“I thought the crowd was excellent. A little spell of nervousness because of results elsewhere, but they got behind us and that’s what I want at this football club. That’s why we’re desperate to play in this league next year.”

“We’ve got to fight tooth and nail and we can only do that if the fans are with us for 90 minutes, and ever since I’ve been here they’ve been fantastic.”

“We were rightly roared off. They saw real quality today and another step in the building blocks for the next few years.”

A clash of heads between Stuart O’Keefe and Vadaine Oliver saw the skipper suffer a cut under his eye, but Harris revealed O’Keefe didn’t want to be substituted:

“He’s got a big gash under his eye. We had Josh Chambers ready but Stuart didn’t want to leave the pitch. That’s what you want and it epitomises the group. It shows the quality of men I’ve got in abundance and that sort of thing should relate to the fans, when I say the players will give me everything.”

“You need heart, desire, and passion, and my players have got that. Stuart O’Keefe epitomises what we are about.”

“I asked him if he was coming off, he said no. I said alright. He’s the captain, the leader, and he’s the one I turn to when I want information about how the players are, and he’s the one I trust.”

Despite having failed to score in the past three games, Harris had nothing but backing for strikers Vadaine Oliver and Charlie Kelman:

“I thought the front two were excellent, they were a handful. They played against three centre halves and my front two were better.”

“Both should have scored, but I set high standards, and I am delighted they got chances. Today we had more quality and created more chances but the next step is to make sure it’s consistent and ruthless.”

Harris now has a big few weekends ahead as Gillingham make the long trips to Accrington Stanley and Sunderland on successive Saturdays.

Both games will be tough for a Gillingham side that is already stretched with injuries, so Harris will spend the week ahead both preparing his squad and hoping he gets more bodies back for the two vital trips.

With only seven games left in their season, Gillingham now at least have hope of avoiding relegation after a massive uplift under Harris.

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.