Nash heads out on loan
Gills striker Liam Nash is heading back out on loan. The 22-year-old recently had a loan stint at Dulwich and has now joined their National League South rivals Concord. He is expected to be included in the team on Saturday for their game against Weston-super-Mare. Nash said: “I just want to say to the Gills fans, thank you for your ongoing support, it means a lot. “I’m staying professional in everything I do on and off the training pitch and take every opportunity when it’s given. “(I am) grateful to be giving the opportunity to help push Concord Rangers in the direction they are going as a club.” Nash had a disappointing spell at Dulwich, making just two league starts for them. He was an unused substitute against Chippenham and didn’t play a part in their two FA Cup fixtures. Nash joined the Gills in the summer of 2017, signing from Maldon & Tiptree, where had had been a prolific finisher. But his time at Gillingham has failed to take off, making just two league starts and 10 appearances off the bench. His only game for the first team this season was at Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy, playing 25 minutes as a second half substitute in a match Gillingham lost 4-0. In his 15 appearances overall, Nash has yet to score for the Gills. The striker also spent time out on loan last season. He scored six goals in nine games for Bostik Premier side Leatherhead – including a hattrick against Wingate & Finchley – leading to manager Lovell recalling him. We’re all behind the manager, said Gillingham skipper Gabriel Zakuani.
The pressure is on for Steve Lovell following their midweek loss to bottom club Plymouth Argyle.
Zakuani was made captain by Lovell in the summer and insists they all want him to succeed.
He said: “Everyone is 100% behind the manager, we believe in what he is doing. We enjoy playing for him and we feel like we let him down (at Plymouth).
“We didn’t start as well as we wanted to. We wanted to get on the front foot and quieten them down. With the record they have had lately, the fans would get on their back and we could build into the game but that didn’t go to plan.”
Gills were on the back foot for most of the opening half and were 2-0 behind at half-time.
“We feel we let the staff down,” added Zakuani. “The game plan changed as soon as they scored. We ended up chasing the game and all the work they did in the first half was enough.
“We had a go second half, we showed a lot of character, trying at least and showing some intent. But, like the manager said, we have to start better and that’s where we let ourselves down.
“We feel sorry for the fans that made the long journey, we should have given them more to shout about.”
Plymouth’s win took them off the bottom of League 1. Replacing them was Bradford, who head to Priestfield on Saturday. It’s a mustwin game, according to Zakuani.
He said: “We have to win Saturday, there is no hiding behind it. We have got to play to win and then we have to kick on from there because we have a good run of home games coming. We need to start making our home a fortress and go from there.
“The signs are there, just as a team we are not defending well enough and are not ruthless enough. It has to change quickly.”
Gillingham have shown this season what they can do, but not so much recently.
“We know it is in there,” said the Gills centre-half.
“We just have to get it out of the boys on a more consistent basis.
“We are working hard, nobody is shying away from the responsibility but you know what it is like when you are down there, little things go against you.
“We have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and get out of it, get the win under our belt and build confidence from there.
“We are on a bad run but we are still in and among it.
“That is the positive because we know as soon as we turn it on, we will be looking at the right end of the table, instead of looking over our shoulders.
“We believe in what we are doing, we just have to go out onto the pitch, stop talking about it and win points.”