Andy Hessenthaler is convinced Gillingham have turned the corner after breaking a run of defeats with a goalless draw against Rotherham on Tuesday night.

Six defeats on the run had seen the side slip to thirteenth in League Two and although the point against the Millers doesn’t see them climb the table, Hessenthaler feels it could be a turning point, telling the club’s official website:

“I think it’s a really big point because of the run we have been on and the pressure we have put on ourselves and all in all it was maybe a fair result,” Hessenthaler said.

“We are all under pressure because we want to achieve something but I was proud of the boys. We did lose our way a little bit in the second half but I thought we made the better chances.”

As for the future, Hessenthaler had nothing but praise for the likes of Connor Essam, Jack Evans and Paulo Gazzaniga:

“I am excited by what I saw out there especially from the young ones who started and the future of the club was out there. I was delighted with the whole back four, I think this result will give them a lift and I thanked them for their efforts, but the young ones were playing without fear.

“It has been doom and gloom and we’re still not happy with where we are but we need to put on a run to put ourselves in for the play-offs. People might laugh but I think with 16 games to go anything can happen.”

Indeed, The Gills could go on a run starting against Torquay United at Priestfield on Saturday. They will go into the weekend, eight points off the play-off places, but with a game in hand.

Automatic promotion is now out the window with the side some seventeen points adrift of the top three. In fact, they are closer now to the relegation zone than they are the top trio.

One major cause for concern for Gillingham will have been the attendance on Tuesday night. Just 3,248 made it to Priestfield with 57 of them coming from Rotherham.

That’s the lowest league attendance at Priestfield since Paul Scally took over the club in 1995.

Picture by Jack Gracie