Martin praises squad following Aldershot win...
Gills boss Martin Allen said the players had done the club proud once again following the 4-0 win over Aldershot at MEMS Priestfield on Saturday.Charlie Allen, Danny Kedwell (pen), Chris Whelpdale and Myles Weston got the goals in a convincing win for the home side which leaves them six points clear at the top of npower League Two.
Following the game Martin said how proud and pleased he was of the shift his players put in.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted, it was a great attitude from the players and we played some fantastic football, took our chances and it was a great day for our players.
“I suppose it was difficult as we were 3-0 up at half time but we wanted a clean sheet and score more goals. It was a good marker; the team who are in second place were not playing today and I’ve been told we are six points clear so that’s good.
“We all have to do it together, we work together and we are all as important as each other, we treat everybody the same, we look after each other and it’s a team game.
“They played some fantastic possession football in the second half to keep it away from the opposition rather than just smash it into the corners and defend by keeping the ball.
“The crowd appreciated that, it’s not always easy to watch it because it’s different to what the supporters are used to. You can see the passion and the commitment.”
Martin revealed that several members of the squad, in addition to himself, had been suffering with stomach bugs in build up to the game and bearing that in mind was even happier to have claimed maximum points.
He said: “I’ve virtually been off for two days with a stomach bug, so has Charlie Allen, Stuart Nelson, Ross Flitney and a few others at the club so for me it was a relief to get through to the end of the game without any tricky situations!
“The boy Allen is absolutely exhausted and is with the doctor at the moment.
“The manager is the same, his belly is in bits but there was no way I was going to miss this. I came in at the last minute to watch the game and the players have done us proud once again.”
Despite the fact the Gills scored four without reply Martin insisted that Aldershot will get some good results under Dean Holdsworth and hopes he remains in charge of the club through a tough period.
He said: “They are in poor form but they played well at Plymouth the other day and they have some dangerous players. They have a centre forward that has scored seven goals in ten games, they have a boy who has just got back from injury (Danny Hylton) – I’ve seen him a lot and he’s a good player.
“The new signing from Fleetwood, Danny Rose, is a good player. I know Dean is a good manager and he will get good results for Aldershot and I just hope there isn’t stupid reactions, he’s a good manager, let him manage and get on with it and see it through the tough times.”
Martin reflected on the great start the Gills have made to the league season, and said the management and squad are grateful for the amount of support they get at MEMS Priestfield.
He said: “It’s unbelievable, no one knew this was going to happen, it’s incredible, it’s amazing.
“I don’t tell them anything, I ask them questions and they come up with the answers. It’s worked very well, the players have ownership about what they do and how we play.
“They are a very intelligent group of people, very charismatic, they are very fit and we played two people today with a stomach bug. The manager was on the side of the pitch desperate not to go for much longer.
“The supporters are not stupid, they pay in this financial climate and currently it’s tough for them to pay out and we have spoken about it as a group. These people pay to come and watch us play so let’s give them something to make it good.
“At the end of the game, whether we win or just draw the players will always be grateful to the people that have paid to watch them.
“To be 3-0 up at half time it’s a completely different team talk and we set out in the second half to keep the ball so that the opposition can’t get near our goal and the more we keep the ball the more tired they get.
“That is what we decided to do at half time and the players did it fantastically well, it was good to keep a clean sheet, the whole team defended right from the front so it was good all round.
“When you are 3-0 up you have to play a different way but I enjoyed watching them keep the ball and retain possession.”