Fan’s Eye View: Positive signs from first two games in charge for new Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth

By David Garth

It’s now just over a week since Gareth Ainsworth came riding into town to take over at Priestfield and already things seem to be looking brighter.

John Coleman and Jimmy Bell had been brought in on a short-term deal to halt an alarming slide that had at one point looked irreversible.

They seemed to have sorted out a lot of issues behind the scenes without really capturing fans’ hearts following a run of only two wins in 14 games.

However, there were signs that the players were showing more fight since the Barrow defeat and had taken five points from a possible nine before the owners rang the changes.

Ainsworth’s appointment did come as something of a surprise but was generally very welcome in most corners. The news was confirmed last Tuesday with a formal press conference the following day setting out a ‘two-year-plan’ to get the club moving in the right direction.

Ainsworth explained that his Gillingham side would ‘leave everything on the pitch’ in every game adding that he wanted his team to play on the front foot and to be adaptable.

Fans travelling at the weekend to fellow strugglers Harrogate were able to judge for themselves, but it was no real surprise that his first starting line-up only showed the one change from the previous side with Jonny Williams replacing suspended captain Armani Little.

The game itself turned out to be a disappointment with neither side doing enough to win it, but Gills did improve after the break to come back from a goal down to start Ainsworth’s reign with a point.

It was the same result – a 1-1 draw – but a completely different performance this week as Gillingham entertained a Colchester side on the fringe of the play-off places.

Just one change with Jayden Clarke