Today marks the start of Glenn Morris’ twenty-fifth year as a professional and there can have been fewer important starts to a calendar year for him than for Gillingham’s home game with Bromley on Thursday night. 

The Gills go into the game under increasing pressure having taken just one point from their three Christmas games thus far, and with their near neighbours arriving at MEMS Priestfield two places and a point ahead of Mark Bonner’s side in twelfth. 

The home side go into the match following their controversial defeat at AFC Wimbledon on Monday night where the winner was a clear handball and the Gills were denied a clear penalty when Conor Masterson was wrestled to the floor in the box. 

“Monday night was a typical away day performance from us at the moment,” Morris told KSN.  

“We dig in first half for 0-0 and then try and progress in the second half, but it was a killer blow with the goal and whilst we had a go second half, nothing really fell for us and it was another disappointing evening.”

“It was definitely a better performance from us than at Colchester, but we are all disappointed at Monday’s result, but we haven’t got time to feel sorry for ourselves as we have to dust ourselves off and go again Thursday.” 

Looking at the controversial winner at Wimbledon, Morris admitted, “I knew he didn’t head the ball in and wasn’t sure what it hit.”

“You get a split second to think, was it his arm, and it was hard to tell and I don’t think any of us really saw it clearly to get much of an appeal going!” 

“You see it back on the replay and it looks like a definite hand-ball and it’s really hard to take! And it did seem like Conor was assaulted as well in the first half – these things get missed when you’re having the run that we are having, but when you are winning, they get seen.”  

“Sadly, it’s the way it goes in football, we cannot worry about those things, we just have to do the job ourselves and not be talking other things.” 

Gillingham and Bromley are both still within seven points of second spot in League Two despite of both sides’ inconsistencies, a point that isn’t lost on the Gills keeper who told us, “Thats the thing, it’s so tight!”

“Wimbledon were tenth before beating us and went second; Notts County have struggled for a while but they are still right in there, and it does just show that if you put a few wins together in this League back-to-back, you are going to be right up there.”

“We are well capable of doing that,” Morris continued defiantly adding, “We just have to get on the pitch and get it done. Some things though are out of your control, like official’s decisions, but you cannot blame them all the time.”

“We have just got to make sure we do all we can on the pitch to get over the line and sometimes, like Monday, you do have to battle against everything – everyone can be against you, but you have to make sure that you come out the right side with the result!” 

With the transfer window now open, Morris admitted,” We know that there is probably going to be some ins and outs during the month, that’s expected anyway and given where we are in the League it’s maybe as well.”

“It really is an uncertain time for any footballer in January, and it’s the same in the summer window. That’s the nature of the game and you cannot think about it as we have so many games and so many things going on and as a footballer if you are thinking about other things, you don’t concentrate on the pitch.”

“Just concentrate on the next training session and the next game and everything else will take care of itself!”