Gillingham assistant coach Robbie Stockdale has been talking to KSN ahead of the weekend trip to South Wales to play Newport County.

Reflecting on the midweek thriller Stockdale paid tribute to the Priestfield crowd; he said, “We heard that a couple of things that were going to happen and coming out we thought this is really going to help us.

“The atmosphere was incredible, whenever you get backing certainly at the start of the game, I think its lifts the players one hundred percent and then its up to them to perform on the pitch but the supporters certainly played their part and hopefully they will continue to do so.

“It can be a huge strength to a Football Club as we try to make this place as hostile as possible for the opposition and I think that as at previous games, the fans want to back us and we need to give them something to back.” 

We then spoke about Shad Ogie’s amazing first half clearance just before half time that saw the defender hobble off at half time and Stockdale admitted, “I really don’t think that there are many players who could have made that interception!” 

“To be fair, it was fantastic, and I do not think that there are many players that could have got back and cleared it as he did! I think he has unfairly come in for some criticism for a couple of mistakes but the goals that he’s stopped far outweigh the mistakes. He’s a young player who is learning, we are trying to coach and teach him when to take that risk and when not to.” 

“I certainly feared the worst when he was carried off by two people, he’s taken some ribbing for that at training, I thought I was watching the scene from Saving Private Ryan!” 

“On a serious note, he put his body on the line for the team and potentially came away with something that could have been quite nasty and painful!” 

Reflecting on whats to come in the final weeks of the season, Stockdale reiterated, “I think it is going to be nip and tuck for the rest of the season unless one team goes on one hell of a run and steamrolls the others.

“You cannot on one hand say it is a really difficult division where any team can beat anyone and then a team wins ten on the bounce. What we must do is to be consistent in the way that we play on the pitch, and I think that with the players that we have got and the ability that we have in the squad, that is gives us a really, really good opportunity to get in there!” 

“But there will be other briefings up and down the country in League Two with other saying the same thing so its really easy to say but we have to perform on the pitch and do it!” 

In the next week as well as the trip to Newport, Gills welcome leaders Stockport County and Wrexham to Priestfield for what Stockdale conceded is a tough week but added “It could be a defining week too! For all that when we are expected to steamroller Forest Green and we draw and then they go and win at Barrow.

“No game is easy in this League it really is as simple as that. Every game we go into we are expecting the best version of the opposition, and we have to be at our best.

Team news and joining unfortunate Ogie on the sidelines still is Dom Jeffries. In better player news, Stockdale also confirmed that Josh Andrews is nearing a Gillingham bow. “He is training hard and hopefully will be in contention soon. I think this weekend is too soon for him, but he is training fully with the squad now, we want him to be available for us but can’t risk losing him for another two or three weeks by rushing him!”