Chesterfield 1 Gillingham 1: Reaction from Gills boss Gareth Ainsworth after League Two draw

Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth was delighted with his team’s response after tearing into them at half-time.

The Gills boss said his team were “absolutely nowhere near it” during the first 45 minutes at Chesterfield and were fortunate to only be 1-0 down at the break. Ainsworth’s team battled better in the second half and Ronan Hale’s deflected strike earned them a point in a 1-1 draw.

Report: Chesterfield 1 Gillingham 1

Ainsworth said: “We are proud, first of all, of the result, coming to Chesterfield, joint favourites for the league at the start of the season. Taking a point home, really good.

“First half, absolutely nowhere near. We weren't close to people. We didn't get tight. [The Chesterfield] players were doing what they wanted with the ball.

“At half-time, we had to give them the right blast to say, ‘Right, where is that? Where is Saturday’s [performance] and the Saturday before? Where is that intensity? When a Chesterfield player receives that ball, he cannot have time on the ball. We have to be there as he arrives.’

“I think Andy Smith put the first tackle in the second half and it was like, ‘Right, here we are. We are not going to sit down and we are not going to take this’.”

Hale levelled on 58 minutes as the Gills made more of a game of it, although Chesterfield still had plenty of their own chances, with the visitors often reliant on loan keeper Ollie Wright.

“The endeavour got us the goal,” said the Gills boss.

“We had a little bit of luck with Ronan Hale’s deflection, but we needed a bit of luck. I've had so much bad luck with the injuries I've had, to my captain, to my last year's captain, and Kadeem Harris, the star signing. It really has been tough.

“For the boys to produce that second half, I