Gareth Ainsworth hailed his Gillingham side as “amazing” after they secured a second-successive home win with a 1-0 League Two victory over AFC Wimbledon.
Joe Gbode came off the bench to score the only goal of the game as the Gills put a major dent in the Dons’ automatic promotion hopes with a 10th game without defeat.
Ainsworth, who is yet to lose since taking charge of the club, said: “It was an amazing performance. The players were absolutely outstanding.
“They emptied every last bit of energy they had for me out there.
“I was bringing players off who couldn’t walk anymore because they had put that much into it.
“The boys came in on Easter Sunday to work on a new bit of shape which I thought would cause them problems and it did.
“Wimbledon are a very big, physical side but I said if we matched them mentally and physically then we had a chance because we’ve got good footballers who can play.
“We were winning every header, threw ourselves at every ball. There was a block right at the end where there were two bodies flying at it.
“I’m really proud of the boys. We’ve got that identity now.
“It was a brilliant goal to win it. Hopefully we will have more days like this. It’s not going well, but it’s going OK at the moment.”
Johnnie Jackson’s side are five points off the automatic promotion pace with only two games to go after winning just one of their last seven.
And Jackson said: “I’m disappointed, naturally. I don’t think we did enough.
“It’s a tough season. It’s a tough league. Listen, these players have given everything to put themselves in this position.
“Realistically, getting in the top three looks very difficult. What we have to do is make sure we get into those play-off positions.
“We have to shake this one off and the players need to be open and honest with themselves.
“There is no time to wallow. We need to get back to work ahead of another big game.
“We need to remember the position we’re in and go again.
“We were poor in the second half. We stopped doing what got us success. We wasted possession too many times. We’ve got ourselves to blame for that.
“The only bit of quality in the game was the goal really. It’s a good goal. That’s a good bit of quality that we just didn’t have.
“I don’t think there was anything between the teams except that moment.”
East Kilbride won promotion to Scottish League Two for the first time and sent Bonnyrigg Rose down after a 0-0 draw at New Dundas Park saw the visitors triumph 3-1 on aggregate.Bonnyrigg goalkeeper Paddy Martin did well to keep out a Joao Balde strike in the 24th minute, before Aaron Arnott fired over at the other end.Kerr Young was unable to make the most of two chances for the hosts midway throu...
Jim Goodwin paid tribute to his dogged Dundee United side following the 2-1 comeback win over Aberdeen which clinched fourth place and a European spot.The Terrors, who returned to the William Hill Premiership this season, had lost their four post-split matches going into the final fixture against the Dons, who were two points ahead and looking in fine fettle when Danish attacker Jeppe Okkels score...
Barry Ferguson was left infuriated by one of the worst decisions he has ever seen and called for the introduction of goal-line technology after Rangers were on the wrong end of a pivotal first-half call in their season-concluding 2-2 draw away to Hibernian.With Gers leading through an early Cyriel Dessers strike, Nico Raskin looked to have put them two ahead in the 15th minute but Hibs defender Ro...
AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson believes the toughness of his side has driven them to the League Two play-off final after they defeated Notts County 1-0 at Plough Lane.An early strike by Josh Neufville gave the Dons a 2-0 aggregate victory that was as deserved as it was hard-earned.The South London outfit have not let in a goal in the last three games, and further demonstrated why their defe...
Dundee United clinched a European place after leapfrogging Aberdeen into fourth place in the William Hill Premiership with a stunning 2-1 comeback win.Danish attacker Jeppe Okkels scored his first goal for the Dons since signing on loan from Preston in January after 15 minutes with the visitors controlling the game.United gradually came back into it and in the 56th minute defender Declan Gallagher...
Rangers were left to lament a contentious first-half moment as they ended a largely dispiriting William Hill Premiership campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Hibernian.Second-placed Gers went ahead early on through top scorer Cyriel Dessers and felt they should have doubled their lead in the 15th minute when Nico Raskin looked to have forced the ball over the line. However, play was waved on and Hibs ...
James Forrest gave Celtic fans the finale they craved as he equalised in stoppage time against St Mirren to extend his run of scoring for the club to 16 consecutive seasons.Forrest left it until the league season was 38 games old to get off the mark on a day when he was chosen to deliver the William Hill Premiership trophy to his team-mates ahead of Callum McGregor lifting it for the fourth year r...
AFC Wimbledon secured their place in the League Two play-off final as they defeated Notts County 2-0 on aggregate.An early strike by Josh Neufville gave the south London side a 1-0 second-leg victory at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.The Dons will face Walsall at Wembley on Monday, May 26 for a place in League One.With veteran striker David McGoldrick ruled out because of injury, and Alassana Jatt...
David Martindale believes the pressure is off his Livingston side after they booked their place in the Premiership play-off final with a comfortable victory over Partick Thistle.The Lions progressed 4-0 on aggregate, securing a second 2-0 win with Jamie Brandon’s opener added to by Stevie May’s stunning half-volley.They will now face either Dundee or Ross County over two legs, with the...
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca pointed to Marc Cucurella’s Barcelona connections after the defender headed the only goal against Manchester United to keep his side’s Champions League hopes in their own hands.The 26-year-old got on the end of Reece James’ cross in the 71st minute to power home his seventh goal of the season and rescue the Blues just as two vital points looked to ...
- 1 Richie Wellens hails Leyton Orient’s ‘outstanding’ victory over Stockport
- 2 Man Utd are losing the feeling of being a massive club – Ruben Amorim
- 3 We will see – no Unai Emery assurances over future of tearful Emiliano Martinez
- 4 Leyton Orient book Wembley date by beating Stockport on penalties
- 5 Brendan Rodgers hits out at ‘needless challenge’ on Reo Hatate
- 6 Mat Sadler hails Walsall’s ‘fighting performance’ after win in play-off first leg
- 7 David Gray thanks Hibernian board for showing faith in him after securing third
- 8 Airdrieonians earn first-leg lead over Cove in play-offs
- 9 Flick lauds Yamal, as Barca nears title
- 10 Arsenal offer £135k deal to seduce target