Gillingham head to second-placed Swindon Town on New Year’s Day before a weekend game at Notts County

Gillingham start the new year with trips to two of the best teams in the division - but manager Gareth Ainsworth is relishing the challenge.

A visit to old foes Swindon, on New Year’s Day, is followed by an away game against Notts County on Sunday - two big challenges to end the team’s busy festive period in League 2.

Swindon are second in the table, and County are four points further back, in sixth position.

The Gills head into 2026 sitting in 11th place, six points adrift of the play-off spots.

“We seem to do well against the top-end teams,” said Ainsworth.

“I’m looking forward to both games. Hopefully, we can get something from both. I know the away fans for us will travel in numbers.

“I know that Swindon game is big for them and a real passionate game and then Notts County, we look forward to going up there. It’s a nice pitch, a nice stadium.

“We beat them early in the season. It’s no bearing on what we’re going to do now, but good memories against Notts as well.

“I just want to beat these teams. I want to go one step further and score more goals than them and that’s the next key to this football club.”

There were ugly scenes at the final whistle on Monday night after Gillingham's draw with Colchester ⬇️https://t.co/RrWDx6oEKv

Gillingham’s form isn’t good, with seven draws from their last eight matches and just one win in 14.

Ainsworth’s looking at the positives, however.

He said: “We’re hard to beat. We really are. The boys do not concede. They’re resolute. It’s something we worked on when we came in.

“We didn’t want to concede too many goals because we don’t score many.

“The next step now is getting the other side right. Is it personnel? Is it practice? We’re working on both of those. Hopefully, we’ll get it soon.