Gillingham manager Mark Bonner says his team need to dare to lose to win more matches ahead of facing League 2 leaders Port Vale at Priestfield

Gillingham have to play without fear when they host League 2 leaders Port Vale this weekend.

After a stunning start to the campaign, the Gills endured a horror show in October, taking just one league point in a run of form that has dented their confidence.

But manager Mark Bonner was encouraged by their display against higher-league Blackpool in the FA Cup defeat last weekend and wants his players to be bold going forward.

“The games are different and when we start our work on Port Vale, there’s no way we’ll mirror that (Blackpool) because the game will be different,” said Bonner.

“The bit we have to do is play fast, see it, do it, play without that fear and understand that making a mistake, giving the ball away and possession turning over is just part of it - it happens whatever.

“We’ve got to dare to lose to win more. If we play too safe like when we were 1-0 up at Swindon, we didn’t dare to lose, we tried to survive and that doesn’t help as you get bitten at the end.

“You have to take a risk, you have to be daring and I have to find the players that are willing to do it, especially now when the pressure is on a bit more and you’re not doing so well.

“The game will look very different but we have to play with a fearlessness in some respects and that’s not easy, I’m not suggesting that’s easy, it’s really hard for the lads, but that’s what we’ve got to encourage.”

The Gills tried to get Tim Dieng and Jack Nolan on the ball against Blackpool but, particularly in the first half, they declined a difficult forward pass to find their attacking players, instead opting to keep possession.

Bonner added: “It was more difficult than we needed to make it, I think it was available and those players were available.

“We have to back