Neil Harris says the squad is looking forward to Saturday's game at home to Harrogate.
Neil Harris has called on his players to summon their ‘Gillingham Spirit’ when they face Harrogate this weekend.
The Gills started the season on fire with a series of impressive results which saw them rocket to the top of the league and earn Harris a nomination for the Manager of the Month Award for August.
After back-to-back league defeats Harris said he was delighted to see his men fight back to beat Leyton Orient in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. Now he says he wants more of the same.
“We are looking forward to this one,” said Harris ahead of the clash. “Harrogate are a League Two side who can compete and they have got experience. They have a defensive-mindset and can stand strong. They defend their goal but they have some ability as well, especially on the counter-attack.
“As we have found out, if you are not at your best then League Two is a very difficult league, we have to be at our best to gain results. We cannot afford to dip this year. If you are half a yard off you will get punished in the league.
“Whatever Harrogate do is down to them, it’s more about us learning from what we have seen so far this season. We need our Gillingham spirit. We need to make sure we put teams under pressure in front of 8,000 people.”
Amongst that support there will be two welcomed faces sitting high up in the Magnus Search Medway Stand for this encounter, Brad and Shannon Galinson.
One thing you can’t help but notice when the American owners sit down to enjoy a game, things get a little bit louder! They spend a lot of the match waving and applauding the fanatic support they receive throughout the 90 minutes which then sends the noise-level soaring several decibels higher. Harris believes their attendance is a huge boost to the atmosphere.
“It’s brilliant that Brad and Shannon Galinson are back for the game,” said the Gills boss. “They bring so much energy, excitement and enthusiasm to the ground. The biggest thing is that the fans love to see them. It gets them whipped up and excited. It’s great to have them here.
“We are all looking forward to Harrogate on Saturday. We need to be at it and set the tempo.”