Garmston’s staying put
Defender Bradley Garmston played in Gillingham’s 2-0 Kent Senior Cup win over Bromley on Tuesday night after rejecting another opportunity to leave.
Boss Steve Evans told the player he wasn’t in their plans back in the summer and has only handed him two first team appearances, both in the EFL Trophy.
The 25-year-old is believed to have down the chance to join National League side Ebbsfleet, who have named former Gills boss Steve Lovell as director of football. Garmston has rejected several other offers of a move to play non-league football, with Dover previously registering their interest. Last month the left-back spent several days training with League 1 Southend United.
Garmston played 26 times for the Gills last season and Evans thinks the best thing for his career now is to start afresh elsewhere.
“It is down to him,” Evans said. “His contract is up in the summer and managers will look and see he has not played. The first thing managers do, like I do, is you check their stats straight away.
“The one thing you don’t do is believe an agent. I had one agent tell me a kid had played three games for Spurs but he had never been near. He said he had played in the first team but it must have been on the training ground.”
Versatile Irishman Tom O’Connor is loving the real deal of the Football League.
The 20-year-old Southampton loanee is experiencing his first season playing for points that matter.
He’s just extended his loan spell with Gillingham until the end of the season and it didn’t take a lot of persuading to make it happen.
“It wasn’t a tough decision,” said the youngster, who had previously won promotion as captain of Saints’ under-23s to Premier League 2 Division One. “I had to check with Southampton that they were happy with me staying and they were. Gillingham were happy to keep me, I’m playing games, which is what I need and we are doing well, so it was a no-brainer. “I am enjoying the experience of playing in games and seeing what it’s like to play in the leagues in professional football with the challenge of going out and fighting for the three points every week.
“Nothing else really matters other than the games at the weekend and getting the results. Even if you don’t play the best and get a result, that’s all that matters. Points are everything.” Another three points would go a long way for the Gills on Saturday as they start the weekend on the verge of the League 1 play-offs.
“If we can manage to get the win it would lift us right into it,” O’Connor said.
“It will be a tough game. They have a few good forwards, they beat us earlier this season, Ivan Toney is good and (Marcus) Maddison is well known in League 1.
“They have a good bit of quality and that is why they are sixth but we won’t fear them. “In recent weeks you can see that we are gelling together and are definitely hard to beat. It is hard to score against us.