GILLINGHAM head to Coventry tonight looking to make drastic improvements following the weekend’s thrashing by Sunderland.

Nicky Southall could be handed his first start of the season at right-back as player-manager Andy Hessenthaler begins to run out of options to an injury-plagued defence.

Hessenthaler blamed school-boy defending following Saturday's performance which saw them suffer their heaviest defeat since Coventry beat them 5-2 at the back end of last season.

City manager Peter Reid could hand their new £200,000 capture Stern John his debut having recently arrived from Birmingham to bolster the Sky Blues strike force.

With just one win from their last four league games Gills will be hoping to claim maximum points which could lift them as high as eighth.

Ahead of the Coventry clash, Hessenthaler told KM-fm the injuries to the squad this season has not allowed them to get any consistency going...