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Gillingham manager Steve Evans on the penalty disagreement between Vadaine Oliver and Danny Lloyd against Sunderland

Gillingham manager Steve Evans admitted he was partly to blame for the penalty disagreement on Saturday.

Vadaine Oliver was expecting to be on spot-kick duty, despite his miss the previous week at Wycombe, but forward Danny Lloyd grabbed the ball and promptly smashed the ball home to give the Gills a 1-0 lead.

Danny Lloyd sticks home the penalty Picture: Andy Jones
Danny Lloyd sticks home the penalty Picture: Andy Jones

Oliver - who earlier this season scored the winner against Morecambe from the penalty spot - was clearly annoyed and took no part in the goal celebrations. Captain Kyle Dempsey also had a word as play resumed.

Evans could see both sides and said: “There was a conversation (before the match) over whether it was Danny or it was V and I probably wasn’t clear of what it should have been.

“I have no problem with V’s reaction over not taking it. Jordan Graham missed one last season, took the next one and scored. That would have been V’s point.

“I didn’t show enough clarity and I will next time.

“I told Danny Lloyd that he took his penalty well. That’s it. I just need to be clearer next time.”

Vadaine Oliver goes close to beating the keeper Picture: Andy Jones
Vadaine Oliver goes close to beating the keeper Picture: Andy Jones

Oliver spoke ahead of the weekend about the response from the fans after is penalty miss. He took to social media last week to apologise.

He said: "It was an unbelievable the response, it was heart-warming and incredible from the fans and it showed the character of the fan-base we have, the unity.

"I put a statement up and was feeling a bit sorry for myself, I logged out, logged back in Monday and saw all the replies, there were too many to reply to but that support was really nice, it did help to move on and get over it a lot quicker, I really appreciate that and thank them."

More on the Gills;

Evans blasts ‘pathetic’ time-keeping

Sunderland reaction: ‘The took a battering’

Youth manager Stone leaves Gills

Protest takes to the sky

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