Andy Hessenthaler proud of his team after Gillingham beat Oxford United 1-0 in League 2
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By Luke Cawdell
Andy Hessenthaler was proud of his team’s
performance after battling against the odds to take maximum points
on Saturday.
The Gills played nearly half the game with 10
men and ended it with nine against an Oxford side that asked
serious questions at the other end.
Gills boss Hessenthaler (pictured) was
thrilled to see his team keep their opponents out and claim a
second straight win to leave his side sitting fifth in League
2.
“They got a big pat on the back from me; I was
proud of them,” he said.
“I am sure the fans will go home saying the
players couldn’t have given any more. They were outstanding and
they worked their socks off for the club.”
Hessenthaler admitted the dismissals of Joe
Martin and Lewis Montrose, both for mistimed challenges, were
warranted but refused to be over-critical of the pair.
“Joe’s first one (challenge) was silly,” said
the Gills boss. “He was having a mad five minutes, he had switched
off a few times and was letting balls go out of play. He ended up
getting booked and that’s cost him.
“He says he got the ball (for the second
challenge). I don’t know. When you are on a booking you have to be
careful and I would like to see it again.”
Montrose was sent off with 88 minutes gone -
having got through plenty of work in the match for the Gills.
“The kid has given everything in the second
half and who am I to tell people not to make challenges?” said
Hessenthaler.
“I was the worst. You only have to look at my
disciplinary record. It is difficult for me to crucify the fella.
It was a little bit of inexperience and it looked worse than it was
perhaps.
“We will have to take that one and he will
learn from it but I am not going to criticise him too much because
the lad won us the game with the goal and his effort in midfield
when we were down to 10 men was phenomenal.”
The Gills played most of the second half with
Jo Kuffour as the lone striker in attack and Hessenthaler was
delighted with the way the forward helped keep the ball in Oxford’s
half.
He said: “We dropped off and let Kuffour do
what he did to their back four on his own and he was outstanding.
They couldn’t handle him. He was different class.
“He got the man-of-the-match, rightly so,
although for me they all were, with the way they dug in as a
group.”
Picture: Barry Goodwin
Do you agree with Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler? Give us
your post-match verdict in the comments section below.
Saturday, October 22 2011
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