Gillingham Manager Mark Stimson admits things will go to the wire after the Gills lose 2-1 to Swansea City at the KRBS Priestfield Stadium.

The Gills took an early lead through Dennis Oli but were punished by two disputed goals shortly before half-time and Stimson admits to being deflated by the result: "I am low as I thought we deserved something from the game.  For the first 40 minutes, we were very good and were playing some of the best football since I came here.  Then it was a mad two minutes just before half-time, where we conceded two goals, and we are up against it in the second-half.  I asked the boys to come out for the second-half and play with the same hunger and desire so we could hopefully get something from the game.  I cannot fault the players for their effort, everything they put into it was spot-on and it was just one of those days where shots were going the wrong side of the post for us.

"If you had come here as a neutral fan today and somebody asked you which team was going for promotion and which team was battling relegation, I think they would've said that both teams were as good as each other on the day.  I think that has happened because of the squad that we have got at the moment.  I just hope that we can get the points that we need to survive in this division.  Although I am frustrated not to get anything from our game, the two teams right above us, they both won today so that makes it even more difficult for us.  We said to the boys that we have to stay positive and we haven't thrown the old white towel in yet.  We have got nine points to play for and we are going to go and attack them.  If we do that, like we have today, and with maybe better finishing, a bit of luck and a decision now and then, we could still be okay.

"I have watched their goals on the video.  The first one, I have to give credit to Darren Pratley, the Swansea number 8.  He has made a hell of a challenge on Derek Stillie and the ball has spilled and come out.  There was half a chance that he could get there so he has lunged in and it's ended up with their striker following in.  The second one, the kid has used his chest.  The ball has spun up, rolled around his chest and he has hit a fantastic half-volley.  We were disappointed that we allowed Andy Robinson far too much room for the second goal.  Up until then, Nicky Southall had done brilliant and that was the only time in the first-half that he got away from "Trigger".  I think we should've closed him down when the ball has gone out to him and made a decision higher up the pitch to challenge him or do better than what we did."

The result sees the Gills three points from safety and Stimson explains that the players are just as disappointed as he is: "It is very disappointing for the players.  When you play that well, you expect and deserve something out of the game.  I'll be low all evening but when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be positive and looking forward to going to Bristol Rovers on Saturday.  We'll be on the front foot and we just need to put today's performance into the last three games.  If we do, hopefully we won't be playing teams as good as Swansea.  They only had two or three chances on target all game but they punished us.  That is why they got promoted to the Championship today and I am sure that they will do really well there because they have got a fantastic group of players and they play the right way.  Today, with the setup we had, we stopped them playing their normal way and made them look ordinary at times.  It is over 46 games though so my hat goes off to them and I say well done, I hope you enjoy the trip home to Swansea tonight and good luck for next season.

"The lads are low because we haven't got anything from the game.  They know that the games are running out.  It is my job to pick them up on Monday morning and I will do that.  This week in training, things were good and the players were bright.  I don't think the performance today was that bad, it was just unfortunate that we conceded two goals right before half-time.  Every minute is crucial and if you can see the lead out until the break, it makes it a great half-time talk.  It wasn't and it meant that in the second-half, we had to go for it.  We ended up getting picked off two versus one but we had to throw everything at them.  Unfortunately, we didn't get that clear cut chance and I don't think we got the added time that we were looking to get.  Only four minutes went up, although there was a lot of time wasting and six substitutions.  I asked the referee at the end where those four minutes came from?  There was time wasting with their subs and their right back with the throw-ins but fair play to them, it might've helped them get another four or five points this season if their team is leading and nobody wants to take the throw-on."

With three games to go, Stimson believes things will go the wire and that starts with a trip to Bristol Rovers on Saturday: "We have got to go and get a win next week.  We have got to take some of this season's home form on an away trip.  It is going to be a tough place to go because of the condition of the pitch and it won't be the best place to play football.  At the moment, we are not about pretty football but results.  We have got to go there and ask their defence and goalkeeper more questions than we did today but with the same effort and desire.

"We have got a group of players now that if we had them earlier in the season, we'd finish higher than what we are now.  That is part and parcel of the game.  We tried to bring these players in earlier in the season but we couldn't get them.  Kevin Maher stepped back into the team and looked very composed as his distribution of the ball is spot-on.  Danny Cullip has been around us a while and that is his first defeat in a full 90 minutes and only by a single goal against a team that has been promoted.  Nicky Southall has come back into the team and has put some great deliveries into the box.  We have got the nucleus of the squad but we are desperate to get the points that we need to stay in the division as this is where we want to be next year."

Georges Ba was absent from the sixteen today and Stimson revealed why the Ivory Coast striker was not at the KRBS Priestfield Stadium today: "Georges Ba had to fly back to France in the early hours of this morning as his girlfriend went into labour.  It's his first child and it is always a hard one; should he be there or should he be here?  We're all different but I am a big believer that your family should always come first.  It would be wrong for us to keep him away from the birth of his first child.  It would've meant that he wouldn't have been ready for what went on today.  He'll be back into the building next week and he could go into the team because of his physical element.  Adam Miller got his tenth booking of the season today so Georges may replace him.  "Millsy" will be a big loss because he plays with the right attitude and the right energy.  Sometimes he plays with too much energy and tries too hard.  You don't want to take that out of his game though."