STIMSON: ONE OR TWO OFF THEIR GAME AGAIN
Sunday 11 April 2010
Speaking to BBC Radio Kent after the 4-0 drubbing against promotion chasers Millwall, a downbeat Mark Stimson said, “It was a difficult afternoon and you always knew coming here was going to be difficult because Millwall are on a good run of form.
They are a very, very strong side and certainly proved that today and hasn’t helped picking up a couple of injuries as well.
Commenting on his disappointment at Gills going in at the interval 2-0 down, Stimson said, “The first goal was decent play from Millwall who got in behind us with a cool finish. As for the second goal, well I don’t know how many goals the boy has scored and don’t think he’ll score many like that again if he has before.”
He continued. “But we had to regroup and it didn’t help when big centre-half Darren Dennehy says he wasn’t available to carry on in the second-half after feeling a bit concussed, so we had to make a change there.
Then we spoke about trying to get back into the game but it only lasted a short period when Garry Richards (below right) obviously collided with Alan Julian and his ankle looks in a bad way at the moment.”
He backed his keeper over the decision to come for the ball by saying, “I think he came out and it was just one of those freak accidents that happens and it wasn’t a good one for us because then we faced a good Millwall side without a real solid pairing of our centre-halves.”
On the seriousness of our injuries Stimson said, “Garry’s ankle is not looking too good and is going to hospital now and have it checked out.
Darren hopefully within a couple of days should feel a bit better but with Garry we’ll just have to wait and see and cross our fingers.
He has been very good recently and today coming to a place like Millwall you need characters like Garry Richards because they are proper men just like the Millwall centre-halves who I thought were outstanding.”
Asked if there were any positives from the 4-0 defeat and what players impressed him Stimson added, “I thought Fuller was phenomenal, never gives up and the last ten minutes of the game chasing down the keeper, playing with a big heart.
One or two others did OK but there is one or two off their game again and we just hope we can come out Tuesday and play like we have at home all season.
If we do that we give ourselves a great chance of winning that game and then looking forward to another massive game against Leeds on Saturday.”
Meanwhile Lions boss Kenny Jackett (left) was in jubilant mood when speaking to BBC Radio London after the game, “Gillingham brought a very good attendance and it was a tight, competitive game for long parts. We did very well, we negated them to very few clear-cut chances. I am pleased to say that some of our goals were excellent.”
