Evans: “There is a forgiving culture”

Gillingham manager Steve Evans has backed his players despite some individual errors in recent weeks.

Mark Byrne and Stuart O’Keefe have both made mistakes leading to goals recently, but Evans supported his players, praising the culture at the club.

Evans said: “It’s important that your players are honest. They come in to the dressing room and apologise but there is quite rightfully a very forgiving culture. They don’t mean to make those mistakes but we’ve been punished for them in recent weeks. We need to eradicate them as quickly as we can.”

He added: “You can’t take it out on the players. they are young men who don’t meant to make these mistake. For us, it’s not been the same players mistaking these mistakes. It’s been a combination of different players but it’s perhaps why they are playing for Gillingham and not Ipswich or Peterborough. Because you make more mistakes than players do at those teams.

“You have to just work with them, we’ve got a small group and a positive group and we’ll take them forward to Saturday. We are on a little run where we seem to be being punished for every mistake we are making.”

Gills visit the Wham stadium on Saturday afternoon to take on an inconsistent Accrington side, who beat league leaders Ipswich Town last weekend.

“We go to Accrington, who I’ve seen twice in the last few days.I’ve seen them when they beat Ipswich and I watched them at Peterborough last night and I think there is an unfair argument for having a goal chalked, off and it was a game changer.”

Evans added: “They are an excellent side. They’ve got a brilliant chairman in Andy (Holt), and a brilliant coaching team in Jimmy Bell and John Coleman. Is there better wide players out there than what they’ve got? It’ll be a tough day for us.”