It’s been a season of contrast for Gillingham’s goalscoring midfielder Josh Wright.

While he rates the last year as his best ever from a personal viewpoint, it’s been a traumatic time for the team.

Nobody expected a relegation battle, least not Wright, who signed a new two-year deal in the summer expecting to be challenging at the top of League 1.

He said: “Safety wasn’t and shouldn’t have been the target at any stage of the season.
“We have ended up in a relegation battle and it’s been tough.

“It’s been a learning curve and, stupid as it sounds, we have to take the positives from it for next season and seasons on from there.

“You can’t give teams head starts, you can’t give teams easy goals. There have been times this season where we have played fine but when you give a goal away, heads drop and we have done that too much this season.

“I have come off the pitch feeling proud, feeling good about myself, but nothing beats winning a football game. Too many times we have lost games, lost in the last minute, lost concentration or given away silly goals.

“We have given ourselves mountains to climb. It has happened too much this season and we have been punished for it.”

Wright was the standout player from a disappointing season with 14 goals and was deservedly recognised for his efforts as fans voted him their player-of-the-season – one of three awards.

He said: “It has been my best-ever season, one I will never forget and one I am proud of but in terms of the team, it has been painful, it’s been tough, it’s not been enjoyable. It has certainly been a season to forget from that point."

Read the full story in Thursday's Medway Messenger.