Gareth Ainsworth was left to rue missed opportunities as Gillingham fell to an opening day defeat against Walsall on Saturday.
The Gills hit the crossbar three times and kept Jed Ward busy throughout as they peppered The Saddlers' goal. However, the visitors were clinical, scoring three in the closing stages, and Ainsworth lamented the defensive errors which led to the goals.
Liam Gordon and Armani Little were both forced off due to injury during the first-half, and the Gillingham manager was devastated for both players as they await the diagnosis of their issues.
Ainsworth was pleased with the link-up play he saw from his attacking players, as they created several fantastic opportunities. However, he reiterated the need to be clinical in front of goal, knowing that his team has plenty to learn.
Assessment of the defeat...
It felt like two different games. It felt like a game from zero to 80 minutes, and then it felt like the last 17 minutes. I can't believe that we have lost the game 3-0. We have got to score when we get our chances. We have to score those. We have to put our chances away. We have been doing it in pre-season, but we didn't do it today.
I'm hoping people saw that first 80 minutes and think that's a different team. That's our team now. The last 17 minutes is terrible. There were some real bad mistakes in defence and from set pieces that we have got to stop conceding.
For the life of me, I can't understand how we have capitulated like that at the end. It didn't help that I lost Liam Gordon and Armani Little in the first half, both to injury.
Their keeper has made some good saves. We had chances; we didn't put ours in, and they put theirs in. We have to learn lessons there. We capitulated at the end.
On the injuries to Liam Gordon and Armani Little...
[On Liam Gordon's injury] - I don't know. It's a knee injury, so we will have to see.
I think that we probably missed him in that last 17 minutes. I don't think that we concede those goals with him in the team. I really don't.
Knowing Liam, he is probably ready to strap his knee up and get out there for next week, but we will have to go on the results of probably a scan or some tests on him. We will see where that is.
Armani then going off, last year's skipper, you couldn't write it.
I haven't heard what he has done. His is a muscular thing, I'm sure.
The chances created throughout the game...
Ronan's [Hale] had, I think, four really good opportunities. We have hit the bar three times and had numerous attempts at the back stick. You have to stick them in. That's the story of the game.
I think that the combination of the front three was good today. I thought that they managed to create a lot of chances. The two wing backs, Kadeem's [Harris] obviously going to cause problems, and Nick [Freeman]. But we can't concede three goals in a game because you're not going to win it.
