Gillingham boss John Coleman was full of relief after his side eased their relegation fears with a 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Morecambe.
Robbie McKenzie scored the only goal of the game late on to earn Coleman his first victory since taking charge — and ended the club’s worrying 13-game winless run.
And Coleman, whose team are 12 points clear of the bottom two after their first win since mid-December, said: “There’s only one emotion for me and that’s relief.
“It’s difficult to separate relief from happiness. If you said that you wouldn’t go to the toilet every time you need to go to the toilet because you’d wait until you absolutely needed to and then you’d have happiness and that’s not very good is it?
“I’m delighted for the fans. They stuck with us. There were no moans and groans when we had to be patient.
“I’m pleased for the fans, I’m pleased for the players and the staff because it’s been a long time coming. We haven’t got a group here who sit on our hands and do nothing.
“The relief that we showed at the end was palpable.
“We had to find a way because we didn’t want to play the game Morecambe’s way, they wanted to make it physical.
“The chance we’ve had to score, we’ve had that chance probably 15 times in the last four games. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t. For us, it felt like it was never going to go in.”
Morecambe are three points off safety and Derek Adams admitted every game is now a cup final for them to help secure their Football League status.
He said: “It’s very difficult to take.
“We understand we’re away from home, we understood they hadn’t won under the new management.
“We limited them to very little, but we didn’t do enough to get good opportunities to win the game.
“We played with three strikers, we’ve played with wide players at times, but any combination isn’t allowing us to get goals at the moment.
“We’ve got to look at it that every game’s a cup final. We’ve got 12 games and we’ve still got a lot to play for.
“We didn’t do well enough to stop their goal or in the final third.
“I’ve said to the players they’re the only ones who can change it. They’re the only ones who can influence the game on the pitch.
“They work ever so hard. They keep on going. They don’t get the breaks they deserve at times.
“But we have lacked that quality and that little bit of edge in the final third.”
Burnley boss Scott Parker never doubted his players would maintain their intensity despite promotion having already been achieved.The Clarets emphatically boosted their Sky Bet Championship title hopes by hammering QPR 5-0 in their penultimate match of the season.It moved them to the top of the table, three points ahead of Leeds, although the Yorkshire side, who are at home to Bristol City on Mond...
Darren Moore could not hide his pride at steering Port Vale back into League One following a 2-0 win over AFC Wimbledon.Two second-half goals from Jayden Stockley and Jaheim Headley sealed an immediate return to the third tier for the Vale Park outfit.As players and fans alike celebrated in the away end, Moore reflected on the achievement – and admitted his focus in this match was on gaining...
Richie Wellens felt the overall display from his Leyton Orient team was excellent in their 1-0 victory over Wycombe.Orient took another step towards the play-offs after Randell Williams’ second-half header proved the difference at Brisbane Road.It was Orient’s fifth successive win and they now travel to Huddersfield next Saturday knowing that, with their superior goal difference, they ...
Notts County all-but guaranteed their place in the League Two play-offs courtesy of a 3-1 victory at Harrogate.The Magpies ended their four-match winless run thanks to Conor Grant’s second-half brace, leaving them fifth in the table and six points clear of eighth-placed Colchester.County took the lead in the 33rd minute when George Abbott fired home after David McGoldrick’s initial eff...
Luton climbed out of the Championship bottom three for the first time since January thanks to Shandon Baptiste’s 90th-minute goal as they beat play-off chasing Coventry 1-0.The Hatters looked like they would go to West Brom next weekend with their destiny definitely out of their own hands, only for Baptiste, who had been on the field for just 11 minutes, to find the net and lift the roof off...
Leyton Orient remain on course for the Sky Bet League One play-offs after a 1-0 win which dented Wycombe’s hopes of automatic promotion.Randell Williams scored the only goal of the game and Orient’s victory, their fifth in succession, leaves them ahead of seventh-placed Reading on goal difference.Defeat for the Chairboys, though, has handed the initiative to Wrexham, who could seal the...
Doncaster clinched promotion to League One after goals from Rob Street and Billy Sharp secured a 2-1 win over 10-man Yorkshire rivals Bradford.In an incident-packed encounter in front of over 12,500 fans – the Eco-Power Stadium’s biggest crowd of the season – Doncaster hit the post through Jordan Gibson before on-loan Lincoln striker Street gave Rovers a 33rd-minute lead with his...
Reading’s hunt for a Sky Bet League One play-off spot will go to the final day of the season after the Royals beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.Lewis Wing’s eighth league goal of the season after 67 minutes and Chem Campbell’s added-time effort leaves the Pirates staring at relegation after Noel Hunt’s side had to survive a first-half onslaught from the hosts....
Jamie Andrews struck a late equaliser as Woking twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Eastleigh in the National League.Tyrese Shade put the visitors in front after 14 minutes, played in on goal by Ben Close before finding the bottom corner of the net.Woking then drew level three minutes before the break when Aiden O’Brien headed in from Jacob Jones’ free-kick.Shade had Eastleigh back...
Port Vale secured automatic promotion to League One after beating AFC Wimbledon 2-0 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.Second-half goals by Jayden Stockley and Jaheim Hedley ensured Vale would finish in the top three and also made a dent in the home side’s push for the play-offs.Vale created the first real attempt of the game which saw Lorent Tolaj fire over from 12 yards out following a cros...
- 1 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 2 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt
- 3 Man Utd & Man City join PSG in race for Akliouche
- 4 We always have a chance – Miron Muslic bullish as Plymouth boost survival hopes
- 5 Tottenham to compete with Man City for defender
- 6 Ten-man Falkirk beaten by Raith as late goals keep title race alive
- 7 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 8 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 9 Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola fumes over point claimed at 10-man Crystal Palace
- 10 Daily Laugh - Totttenham 1-2 N Forest