Gillingham Manager Ronnie Jepson is delighted to pick up all three points against Crewe Alexandra at Priestfield.

On the overall outcome of the match, Jepson said: ""We didn't get out of the traps well today.  It was a little bit blustery and I had a word with the groundsman as I thought we needed a little more water on the pitch.  We knew how they would set up and that must be one of the biggest Crewe teams that I have ever seen.  We knew it would be difficult.  We tried to get a bit of width but wasn't able to do that in the first-half.  "Crofty" and "Flynny" didn't know whether to stick or twist at times.  I made a little tactical change and put Danny Spiller onto Neil Cox and gone narrow ourselves.  We could then get Mark Bentley, Danny Jackman and Nicky Southall out to go wide.  We got more gains and were a far better team in the second-half than we were in the first.

"You don't get many better goals than that do you?  "Flynny" has hit it with his left peg, it was a great strike and was worthy of winning any game.  He usually hits them into Row Z and knocks a few people out with them.  I think we have got a couple of insurance claims from fans behind the goals!  On his day, he can strike a ball as good as anyone, and with either foot.  He showed that today.

"We looked at them in the tunnel and we had seen some reports on them.  They had four centre-halves in their team and it was always going to be hard with the two in midfield.  It was always going to be a bit scruffy and difficult and they are good on the counter when they get the good knockdowns, and they got more than we did.

"After the game up there, we didn't think there would be just one goal in it.  I'd take one-nil and a clean sheet all day long.  We should have won the game up there, what with some of the stuff we played up there, although that was a very open game at Crewe.  Being the home team, the impetus is on us to go break them down.  It's not very attractive at times but we stuck at it and come up with a cracking goal.

"It was bit dour in spells at times today; I won't hide from that fact.  I don't think the conditions helped with it or the way that Crewe set up.  They didn't want an open game and that is why they put Cox in there for protection.  They had Billy Jones in there too and that is two centre-halves, so you could see what they were doing with hitting you on the counter, and then they have Rodney Jack up there, and he has got good movement.  We played better football last week but only got a point when we deserved something more.  That performance today, it was like Groundhog Day but the lads dug in and I think we deserved the three points."

Goalkeeper Romain Larrieu, at Priestfield on-loan from Plymouth Argyle, made two exceptional saves and Jepson is delighted with the performances of the Frenchman: The first save he made, I think that was special.  The one their keeper made in the first-half, the low-down one from Mulligan, that wasn't bad either.  That is what he is here for and that is what he can do.  Ian Holloway has seen it many times and he's a no-risk, he is a good goalie.  Romain adds a bit of steel but I think we protected him well as they got some quality balls into the box.  It was like the land of the giants but we got bodies in the way and cleared the balls out of the box.

"It wasn't a lucky performance.  I thought we dealt with everything they put into the box and Romain has made two cracking saves.  We've had plenty of shots ourselves and got a fair few balls in the box in the second-half.  We weren't at our best in the first-half by any stretch of the imagination as the passing wasn't as good as I would have liked but I was pleased with the second-half performance.  It was never going to be an open game with the way that Crewe set up.  They made it difficult by sitting back there so we had to try and play round them.  It wasn't working with the width so we put somebody into the middle to give it an overload."

Leon Johnson, who waited patiently for his chance, has been a regular at centre-half for the last two months and Jepson is impressed with the way the defender has taken his chance and admits anyone can come in and earn a starting place: "If anyone does well for me and they are worthy of their place, then I won't change my team.  I will only change it if it has got to be tactical or there is a need for a change.  Leon Johnson has come in and earned the shirt.  The same applies to anyone who comes in.  Clint Easton was at left back but I thought he was having a dip so I put Danny Jackman in.  "Jacko" has been smashing.  That is the way that I work it and that is what I have said all season.  I would like more of an opportunity to swap one or two other positions and put pressure on some other players.  You would expect pro footballers to do that when they come in."