Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth on making the most of their opportunities in front of goal after 1-1 draw with Barnet in League Two

Gillingham’s goalscoring has improved but their manager knows his side should still be doing more.

Fans of the Gills have endured a tough few seasons watching their team struggling in front of goal.

Manager Gareth Ainsworth felt frustrated at missed opportunities of late and will be working on making his team more potent in front of goal.

With 17 games played, his side have netted 23 goals, the same total at the same stage as last season.

Commenting after the 1-1 draw on Saturday against Barnet, Ainsworth said: “It's not as though we're not creating the chances, we've had the chances to score goals. We just have to be better at that, and that's on us.

“Me and my coaching staff will work hard, we'll get there and make sure that we can make them better in front of goal.

“I know it's been a problem here for quite a few years; people have told me when I walked in that goal scoring is a problem with Gillingham.

“There's only one game where we haven't scored, (against) Harrogate. I’m writing off Grimsby because we know what that game was.”

The Gills lost that game against Grimsby 1-0, after having two players sent off, and conceding a dubious penalty.

This season’s record is better than many of late.

Seventeen games into the 23/24 campaign they’d managed 14 goals and just six the year before that. The 2021/22 season was a record low for the Gills, managing just 35 goals in 46 games as they were relegated from League 1.

When it comes to big chances missed, the Gills rank seventh in League 2 this season, so far. They are also in the top-10 for shots on target and expected goals.

Despite the above-average stats, the Gills have scored five of their 17 goals from the penalty spot and Bradley Dack’s weekend goal came from a