Stephen Clemence praised his Gillingham players for salvaging a point at home to relegation battlers Grimsby after a sickness bug had ravaged the squad.
George Lapslie equalised two minutes after Donovan Wilson’s early opener for the Mariners, with both managers accepting that a draw was a fair result.
Clemence admitted afterwards that getting anything out of the game was a good outcome considering the Gills’ disrupted build-up.
He said: “There were some very, very good performances.
“I’ve got nine players who barely trained this week and three who have hardly eaten anything this week.
“I was still getting texts from our physio this morning about players being ill – one more player pulled out this morning. We’ve had a very bad sickness bug here, I’ve never seen anything like it in all my time in football.
“Fair play to the players for performing the way they did. It took a lot for them to get through that. We’ll take the point and move on.
“We’ve harped on about not taking our chances all season and we’ve said that we could be a nearly team if we don’t take our chances. I’m not stupid, I know the problems at this football club. They will get sorted, I promise.
“But we’re still in the mix, the boys have to keep believing, and we’re a point closer with seven games to go. They performed to the levels I expect, so I won’t criticise them for that.”
Wilson had put Grimsby in front after 13 minutes, finishing off an incisive breakaway led by skipper Gavan Holohan.
The lead was short-lived, though, with Lapslie tapping home Timothee Dieng’s cross as Gills levelled almost immediately.
Harvey Rodgers did brilliantly to deny Jonny Williams as Gillingham almost took the lead, before Holohan and Wilson missed chances to restore Grimsby’s advantage.
Connor Mahoney hit a post for Gillingham with the best chance of the second half, and Mariners boss David Artell was satisfied to come away with a point.
He said: “I just said to the boys that, whereas at Sutton a couple of weeks ago we deserved all three points, that was definitely a well-gained one-point game. There were definitely some tired bodies at the end.
“They changed shape for the first time in a long time which caught us off-guard, but we settled into the game and then got a good goal.
“We knew the next 10 minutes would be crucial and if we could have kept them out at that point the game would have been different. We know that Gillingham don’t score many, but we couldn’t quite get through that period.
“The players dug in, rolled their sleeves up, and we could have nicked it at the end.
“I think a draw is a fair result, and it’s another point on the board.
“We’re six unbeaten now – I’m not sure how many teams in this league are unbeaten now, but that’s us.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
