Gillingham striker Elliott Nevitt on FA Cup defeat to Newport County and hopes of success at Bristol Rovers in the league this Saturday

Striker Elliott Nevitt insists Gillingham’s luck will turn if they keep fighting the way they did in their FA Cup defeat at Newport.

The striker says the squad is hurting after going out on penalties but remains confident they’re heading in the right direction.

“I feel like we're getting into the right positions and the luck’s not on our side,” said Nevitt. “But the lads at the end who were on the pitch kept going and we got the goal [to make it 2-2 in extra-time]. It's so harsh to go out on penalties.

“We just need to stick together. There's nothing else we can do except go on the pitch, be a team, work together and try to win football games.

“Luck's going to turn. It's not always going to be like this.”

Nevitt says the dressing room is united and determined to respond when they return to league action against Bristol Rovers.

“We're training and we work hard and we speak to the staff and we keep going, 100%,” he said.

“We're going at every game to win – some games, luck, whatever it is, it's just not happening. But we’ll stick together and turn it around.”

He also reserved praise for goalkeeper Jake Turner, who was controversially penalised in the shootout.

Turner saved Newport’s third penalty but was adjudged to have moved off his line and from a retake the hosts scored. They went on to win the shootout 4-3.

“I thought he (Turner) was brilliant,” Nevitt said. “He hasn’t played a lot of football this year but to come in and perform like that was superb. I was gutted for him because he deserved to win – we all did.”

And despite the heartbreak, Nevitt remains grateful to the fans for their support.

“They were brilliant all game and they stuck with us,” he said.

“Even at the end they were clapping us, which they didn’t