The better team lost, said Gills manager Steve Evans after a 2-0 defeat to Fleetwood Town.

Gillingham had numerous chances to score and hit the woodwork twice before visitors Fleetwood struck their opener and sank a second in stoppage-time.

Evans said: “It is a game where they made three chances and took two and we have five chances and take none.

“Eighty per cent of the game from us was very good, we have passed it, we have opened them up, we have had possession, we were totally dominant, certainly for the first hour and we are unlucky.

“We have played worse and won, if we had taken our chances we could have been three or four ahead at half time, and game is over, but we didn’t.

“Fleetwood scored twice and from a distance that looks like it is a comfortable 2-0 away win, but they rode their luck in the first half, they probably went in at half time and said ‘it cannot get any worse for us’. They got a goal against the run of play and the second one is a foul.

“People will see the second goal on tv and it is clearly handball, it is running out of play, he stops it with his hand then plays it through for the player to score. The assistant referee will be embarrassed when he sees it.

“I think the best team lost but we beat Oxford a few weeks ago and the best team lost, they were better than us.

“We bossed this game for long periods. We played really well, we knocked it about, we created chances but we never took them.

“I think Joey (Barton, the Fleetwood manager) will be going back on the coach and thinking, ‘we got away with that one.’”

Evans added: “This is a hard one to take in what has been a long afternoon yesterday and a long day for us,” commenting on issues they had with Fleetwood Town possibly arriving with Covid-19 infections.

Talking about some of the key missed chances, Evans said: “Number one was John Akinde first half and Dominic Samuel and a wonderful save from the goalkeeper. Alex MacDonald for me should score but we hit the underside of the bar. We will take it, we will take any criticism that comes, but that is a good performance from us and we will build on it.

“We have a young group, they are learning, they are playing football and we will go again Tuesday (to Ipswich Town).”

More on the Gills;

Report: Gillingham 0 Fleetwood Town 2

Evans blasts EFL over Covid testing

Gills say thank you after surprise departure