Andy Hessenthaler has to look back and think what could have been for The Gills having narrowly missed out on the play-offs once again.

The Gillingham manager watched on as his side comfortably beat Morecambe 2-0 at Priestfield on Saturday to secure eighth spot in League Two, finishing just two points behind Crewe Alexandra.

Despite promising changes for the game, Hessenthaler opted for the majority of the side that drew at Northampton last week with Jack Payne in for the injured Chris Whelpdale and The Gills boss admitted he wanted to end the 2011/12 season with a victory:

“The important thing in the team-talk before the game was that we finished off on a win, because obviously we’ve missed out again on play-offs,” Hessenthaler said.

“I asked them to go out and win the last game and I couldn’t ask for any more from the boys.”

The three points may have secured Gillingham eighth spot for yet another season, but for Hessenthaler it will be a bitter pill to swallow when he looks back at this season in the weeks to come:

“We’ve finished eighth again, eighth last year, losing out on goal difference, and eighth again this season by just two points.”

“I would probably go home and beat myself up if I looked back at some of the games where we should have got points. There’s no point in me looking back over all of that, because I won’t sleep very well. I’ve just thanked the players for winning the game, even though it was rather dull at times.”

Missing out on the play-offs yet again has promoted some sections of the Gillingham faithful to call for a change in manager, but Hessenthaler admitted that decision is out of his hands:

“He’s (chairman Paul Scally) thinking about what to do, that’s a chat between myself and the chairman for Monday.”

“We’ll see where he wants to go with me. Hopefully it will be here, if not, that’s football, he’ll make a decision which will be an honest one.”

It would come as a surprise if Scally relieves Hessenthaler of his duties for a second time and he’ll most likely be handed a third and final attempt to get Gillingham out of League Two.

If he does survive the chop, Hessenthaler will spend the next week meeting with players and resolving their futures with as many as fifteen out of contract.