Walsall 2 Gillingham 0: Match highlights and reaction from Gills boss Neil Harris after League 2 defeat at the Bescot Stadium

Gillingham’s defeat at Walsall may well have been 72 hours in the making.

The Gills were beaten 2-0 by The Saddlers - their first win in 13 - and boss Neil Harris revealed how Thursday’s disappointing training session had already left him concerned ahead of their weekend trip.

Harris said: “I thought we were poor in training Thursday, a little better on Friday.

“My disappointment is with the whole group over 72 hours, we just haven’t hit the standards I expect, not just as individuals but as a group, that is why I had a few choice words to say to the lads (after the game) about where we have been.

“Training standards on Thursday in particular weren’t where they have been at every day for eight weeks. It’s just a gentle reminder that if you don’t train properly that can happen. A coincidence? Possibly. They leave themselves open to be questioned by the manager if they don’t train properly in the week.

“For me, I have had my say to the players, I now expect a response on Tuesday (at home to Crewe).

“If we are off it five per cent then we can lose games of football at this level, when we are at it full pelt and the concentration, the focus, the discipline and the organisation, the squad togetherness is there, then we are a match for anyone.

“I am disappointed with the result, I don’t like losing, and however much we lost before Christmas I don’t get used to it, I don’t like it, I am not here to lose games of football. I gently reminded the players of that.

“I am disappointed for the first time since the middle of January of my group. I wasn’t at Mansfield (after a 2-0 defeat) as they were better than us on the day. (Against) Bradford (a 2-0 home loss) we made a couple of errors. I have no problem with individual errors, it