Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth won’t let late collapse at home to Walsall on opening day overshadow positive performance in first 80 minutes from his team

Manager Gareth Ainsworth can still see the shining lights in Gillingham’s squad despite their opening-day collapse.

The Gills conceded three goals in the last nine minutes to lose at home to Walsall on Saturday.

Heads dropped after Ainsworth’s side went behind and while he described the end to the game as “crap”, the Gills boss won’t let the gloomy ending wipe out a brighter opening 80 minutes.

“I think a 1-0 defeat, everyone would have gone, we'll take that,” said Ainsworth. “We can see the difference and we can see what's happening here. I can still see it.

“It's hard for me to see through a 3-0 result, but I will. Many people won't be able to see through it. Many people will just go and do what they do.

“I'm sure the socials are going mental and I'm sure everyone's had their opinion. I can see through it. It's hard, but I can see through it and I'll make it right.

“I'll scrap and fight to make them better defenders, better in that defensive zone, because how we haven't scored is unbelievable.

“But we've been here before, we need to stick the chances in. The keeper was brilliant for them. We've hit the bar three times, we've had numerous attempts at the back stick and chances, but you've got to stick them in and that's the story of the game.

“We've had 17 attempts at goal and that's a really good ratio. Last season, we were coming off thinking we've had about three attempts at goal, 17 today.

“We need to be better, we need to be more clinical and I know that, but it will come. All I can say is we'll fight and we'll scrap. They won't get me down.

“There's some good boys in that dressing room and they're really hurting. That's the big thing for me, they're hurting. More than I've seen in my last squad, there's a lot