Port Vale 0 Gillingham 1: Gills manager Gareth Ainsworth’s reaction after League 2 win at Vale Park – Aaron Rowe scores winning goal

Gillingham’s win at Port Vale on Saturday whetted the appetite of manager Gareth Ainsworth as he plots a way of building his own promotion-winning side.

The Gills beat League 2 runners-up Port Vale 1-0 thanks to Aaron Rowe’s 56th-minute strike. It was a third win under Ainsworth, who finished the season without a loss in his nine games in charge.

Report: Port Vale 0 Gillingham 1

Ainsworth took over as manager just over a month ago, with a two-year plan to get the Gills moving in the right direction.

“Well done players,” he beamed, in a nod to his team after Saturday’s end-of-season win.

“You were excellent and thank you for the win but sorry to Port Vale, my old club, they mean a hell of a lot to me, and I'm just glad that we didn't cost any promotions.

“They (won promotion) last week, and it was very respectful from the Port Vale fans to stay off the pitch, that's great for me and so nice for us to go over at the end (to the Gillingham fans) and see those 600 there, and I mean ‘wow’.

“I didn't see too many Hawaiian shirts (among them) but I saw a lot of pride at the end.

“They were very, very noisy during the game and in somewhere that’s been promoted, to hear your own fans is really good, and gives me great enthusiasm and great belief that we can achieve at this place and I'm really happy. Long may it go on.

“I know there wasn't too much on it at the end, because Doncaster won (to claim the title) but it brought back great memories being there, a fantastic football club. It just whets my appetite for seeing them celebrating, seeing everyone on the pitch, seeing what they've got and how they've built it.

“We can do this. It's going to take time and believe me, I don't want people getting carried away because I know