Adrian Pennock is in a positive mood ahead of Gillingham’s crucial final game of the season on Sunday.

And so Gillingham’s season comes down to the last 90 minutes with their former manager in the opposition dug-out!

Ady Pennock’s final pre-match press conference of the season saw the Gills coach in positive mood ahead of the club’s date with destiny, but also –quite rightly before such a massive game for the club – refusing to be drawn on anything that happened prior to his arrival in the Priestfield hot-seat!

“Didn’t want it to come down to the final game, but it is what it is and we’ve got to get on with it!” said Pennock.

“We’ll go to Northampton and be very positive and go there for the win as we don’t want to rely on other results” Pennock added.

“We can’t there for a draw – we have to go there for the win. I’ve been in this position as a player and a manager at both ends of the table. Everyone will have their phones on and you’ll hear by the cheers or the jeers how things are going elsewhere, but more importantly I want our fans to be winning because we’re winning – it’s in our hands and we’ve got to be positive.”

“It’s something that we have to deal with – for the neutral it’s very exciting, but if you’re involved in it, it’s very different! You’ve got to manage the game and then other things will take care of themselves.”

“We’re all still excited to be doing the job, but it really is like when you buy a house. You get all excited when you first buy it and then when you get inside it, there’s often more to get done that you first realise when you buy the place.”

“You then get a little disappointed, but you pick yourself up and get on with things – the boys have been very positive and created a lot, but as has been the occasion on five or six times since I’ve been here, we’ve conceded late far too often and let ourselves down.”

“But the boys are confident and we’ve got the twist on the game with Justin (Edinburgh) being there too and so it was made I think that we’d have to go there and do something to end the season.”

“There’s no point about me going on about what we inherited or anything else – we didn’t know what we were inheriting and then in the first two or three weeks you realise what you’ve got – it’s a case of move on, stay in this League and then hopefully rebuild next season.”

“The boys have worked their socks off for me ever since I’ve been here, week in week out and it’s not for the lack of trying that we’re in this position – they’ve all worked hard in every game.”

“Obviously I can hear the fans frustration at the results – I can assure you no one is as frustrated as I am – we all want the best for this football club…”

“Everyone knows the situation with me and the coaches, but the players are playing for their futures as well”

“It’s a big game for all of us and I just want to concentrate on the game. I don’t really want to go into details if I’m going to be here or not next season, I just want to concentrate on the game on Sunday and move forward from there.”

“We shouldn’t be in this position, but the late goals that we’ve conceded has been so disappointing – we’ve come to the stage when just one or two of those games when wins have become draws could really cost us – we’ve put ourselves in good positions, but haven’t killed games off.”

“That though adds to the experience of the players, but there are plenty of questions that still have to be answered and I promise you I will answer every one of them after the game on Sunday!”

“There’s no point going on about what could have been and hat should have been – we’ve got to keep this football club in Division One on Sunday!”

It’s not the first time in his career that the Gills boss has faced relegation on the last day of the season as he explained.

“As a player (at Bournemouth) one season we had to win the last game to stay up and took all the pressure off by scoring three in the first twenty five minutes –what we all wouldn’t give for the to happen on Sunday?”

“There’s huge pressure involved because the pressure is the future – the players futures; our futures – so that’s the pressure that we’re putting on ourselves. But we’ve got to be positive and I truly am a great believer in what will be, will be!”

Every Gills fan could have their nerves stretched to breaking point on Sunday lunchtime – a point that Pennock is only too well aware of.

“Nerves will be jangling for everyone, and you’ve got to remember that there are other team in this as well…  Our supporters will be there in their numbers and I really want to give them something back for their fantastic support, and if we can get the result to achieve the bigger picture of staying in League One, then the trip home will be better than my trip from Walsall on Tuesday night.”

“I want to give them something back as they’ve been absolutely fantastic! It’s massive for me personally, it’s massive for my family and for everyone involved in this football club as it affects everyone – it’s affects lives, as I said there are players fighting for their future as well.”

“There will be people like that of course at other grounds as well, but as I said already, we have to go to Northampton and take care of ourselves and win a game of football and that’s the only way we will get to where we want to be… safe in League One! “

Following Pennock’s press conference which around half an hour late starting on Friday morning, it was revealed on Friday evening that striker Rory Donnelly has been suspended from his employment with immediate effect.

Donnelly will therefore miss the trip to Northampton and the club have refused to comment on the reasons behind his suspension.