Colchester 0 Gillingham 1: Reaction from Gills’ assistant coach Robbie Stockdale after League 2 victory

Gillingham’s management team got the response they were looking for after asking for an increase in tempo at half-time of their game at Colchester.

The Gills came out with a real urgency as Oli Hawkins and Shad Ogie saw efforts hit the frame of the goal either side of Scott Malone’s opener, which turned out to be the winner.

Report: Colchester 0 Gillingham 1Gillingham assistant coach Robbie Stockdale expected a tough last game of a busy festive period.

Stockdale said: “It is always a difficult game, the last one in this block, because you have a lot tired bodies and it is very strenuous on the players. We picked up a few injuries in the week, with a couple of changes to the starting XI.

“I always think this game in particular is a difficult one to judge. You always turn it over in your mind as a manager and staff as to whether you need to make more changes to the starting XI to freshen it up, or because we played well against Sutton (winning 1-0 on Friday) do you roll the players out again?

“You are not quite sure what you’re going to see. I thought first half was a game that looked like two teams at the end of a busy schedule. A couple of words were spoken at half-time, just in terms of ‘can we lift our tempo?’

“First 20-25 minutes we were really good and thought we could have been two or three goals to the better.”

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The Gills did have some good chances in the opening half, including a shot from Dom Jefferies that was saved after just three minutes. Joe Taylor put an even better opportunity wide for the hosts.

Stockdale said: “First half, I thought it was fairly even and in terms of chances we had the better of