Gillingham striker Oli Hawkins admits it’s been tough to keep his cool with defenders hanging off him every match. The big Gills striker rarely gets a decision from the officials in his favour and that’s not been a surprise to the player who previously played centre-half for Mansfield Town, enabling him to see difference in decision-making at either end of the pitch.
He said: “I know the advantage always lies with the centre-half. Because I am tall, defenders feel like they have to grab me, there will be games when referees just don’t give you any decisions and it looks like a really tough job for me, and it has been in the last few weeks. “Not many people play both positions but 100% I know you get more lenience.
The advantage lies with the centre-half and I do feel like most games I come off unlucky. “I probably do get frustrated a lot, knowing ‘here we go again’, but I tend not to throw my arms around a lot and moan, because it doesn’t look great.
As soon as I do get fouled and it’s not given I just move onto the next one, then the next one and think maybe I will get the next one.