Stimson: We have got our reward

Manager Mark Stimson was absolutely delighted with his side and the desire showed in reaching the League Two playoff final.

Crediting the players` hard work throughout the season and the pre-season training scheduled that started earlier than any other football club.

He said: "They have put the work in and you get your rewards, if you are prepared to do that little bit more and now they have got their big reward by going to Wembley.

Stimson was also full of praise for the opposition and the close games that they have had with them across the season, but a good team performance got the Gills through the two tough legs.

Despite the team performance there was no getting away from the fact that Simeon Jackson become a twenty goal a season striker.

He added: "At the end of the day it needed a bit of magic and the kid has certainly got it in his feet. He has had a little bit of a lean spell, one pundit said to me are you leaving Jackson out because of his performance, I said are you mad the kid is a goal scorer and he will produce when he needs to, and he has done that."

Since the change of Captain Part way through the season Stimson believes the club have kicked on massively, which is credit to Barry Fuller and the rest of the squad.

He said: "I have got someone now who genuinely wants to win football matches at every cost; he sprints in five a-sides he wants to win. If you have got a captain doing that you have got a chance."

Stimson is also looking forward to a fantastic occasion at Wembley for the football club and the sheer number of supporters that will turn out to support them.

He added: "The noise was absolutely spot on Sunday, spot on from the warm up to the end of the game and I think the players repaid that with their performance."

"I don`t know how many Gillingham will take to Wembley, the last team I took there they took 26,000 and they only averaged 2,500 at a game. I hope they take as many as they can and they bring those voices.

"We have a tough job on our hands but one that we are willing to take on, it is a challenge like this job was when I first took it on."

The enjoyment and delight was clear to see on the manager`s face and he admitted that he is now starting to enjoy football again.

He said: "I didn`t enjoy last year because I don`t like losing football matches and I hate players who take money and don`t work, I had to put up with that last year."

"Now I have a bunch of players who are on nowhere near as much wages as the old lot but want to win and it has brought my buzz back to it. It has made me enjoy it much more winning games but also just working with the players and their enthusiasm."

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