Gillingham v Tranmere: Head coach Stephen Clemence looks ahead after midweek loss at Barrow in League 2

Gillingham head coach Stephen Clemence has challenged his side to start another positive run of results after a disappointing Tuesday night.

The Gills lost ground on the League 2 play-off race after losing to top-seven rivals Barrow. The 2-0 defeat saw Clemence’s side drop back to ninth in the table.

They had gone into the midweek clash after back-to-back wins over Wrexham and Salford which followed a draw against then-leaders Stockport.

Half of the division will still fancy their chances of being in the promotion mix come the end of the season, and the Gills know they can’t slip up too many more times as so many teams harbour the same ambition.

Clemence said: “We dust ourselves down and get ready for Saturday and can we start a new run now?

“We didn’t create enough (at Barrow), we had plenty of the ball and tried to change the system in the second half to see if that could open them up more but I have to say Barrow are very well organised, very tough to break down.

“They have been all season, that’s why they’ve been in the top seven for most of the season. It was difficult.

“We just didn’t have that bit of spark about us that we needed.

Clemence added: “There are a lot of teams that can beat each other in the division. I went expecting to win but I knew we were playing a really good team - very well organised and they have got good front players, a good back three, midfield players who can get around the pitch. [It was] a difficult game, but it is only one game.

The Gills will need around 20 more points from their remaining 10 games for a play-off spot, based on recent tables.

Weekend visitors Tranmere are one of few sides with little to play for in the remaining fixtures as they are 16 points above the relegation zone