Hess - We can't be too down about it

Yet again, for the umpteenth time this season, Gillingham were involved in a thrilling goal-fest at the weekend. This time they were on the wrong end of a dramatic defeat.

Having battled back from 3-1 down Gillingham looked on course for a point against fellow play-off chasers Crewe, although it was they that snatched it deep into injury-time to win 4-3 at Priestfield.

Andy Hessenthaler feels that Danny Spiller's red card turned the game back in favour of the visitors and had he not gone The Gills might have even won: 'if we had kept 11 on the field we might have won the game because the ascendancy was with us at that moment in time. They lost their way when we got it back to 3-3 and perhaps you could see we could have gone on to win.

'But our lad made a poor decision and got sent off. You can't jump in like that these days. It was a poor decision and he will be disappointed. When we went down to 10 men it was always going to be difficult.'

A tough week has taken its toll on Gillingham and Hessenthaler knows this, even so he is looking for side to regroup and start again: 'I think we looked a little tired, the week we've had. Going to 10 against Plymouth and then in the game in midweek, so I thought we looked a little bit tired. We can't be too down about it.

'We've got to go again and recover. We've been on a decent run and it's a shame it has come to an end. The boys fought very hard.'

The defeat didn't have that much of a negative impact on The Gills' play-off hopes, they're still very much in this hunt but need to respond to this defeat positively or a gap could grow again.

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