Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth sees plenty of positives on show in weekend defeat to Harrogate Town

Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth says Saturday’s defeat to Harrogate has only strengthened his belief in his squad.

The Gills’ long unbeaten run came to an end with a 1-0 loss at Priestfield, but Ainsworth praised the spirit and commitment on display.

“You do learn plenty from a defeat,” said the Gills boss, after his first loss in charge.

“I learnt that there wasn’t a lack of effort from my boys. They gave everything. They were flying into tackles. They were going into headers.

“You can see the passion that they have for the club. The fans matched it.

“What I've learnt is we're in a good place and I'm sure that this season is going to be a really exciting one.

“Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will Gillingham Football Club be, but we've had a tremendous six months and I'm proud of every one of those boys and all their efforts.”

Defeat won’t change how Ainsworth and his backroom team approach the next game.

“Consistency is really important as a football manager,” Ainsworth said.

“The boys need to know where they are, and I won't change at all. I always believe in being positive.

“There were some fantastic performances [on Saturday], some really good performances.

“I don't single out [players], but there were one or two that were really hurting. They gave absolutely everything, emptied the tank, and it was great.”

The Gills have come from behind several times this season and Ainsworth maintained his belief that they would to it again against Harrogate.

A dominant second half went unrewarded, however.

“Everyone believed it was going to come didn’t they?” said the Gills boss.

“I think fans know that they're going to see opportunities, they're going to see the boys trying, they're going to see the boys running at