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Gillingham 4 Crewe Alexandra 1: Reaction from Gills assistant Paul Raynor

Gillingham assistant manager Paul Raynor praised the players for executing their game-plan to perfection against Crewe.

The Gills were fortunate to escape with maximum points from the away match at Crewe, winning 1-0 at Gresty Road, but there was no luck involved this time around at Priestfield. Gillingham won Tuesday night's match 4-1.

Raynor said: “It was a fantastic performance. They passed us off the park at their place earlier in the season and we were very fortunate to come away with the victory. We told the boys we wanted to press a lot higher (this time) and stop it at source and the intensity we did that at was fantastic.

“We had a plan and the guys did it to a tee. Sometimes you can put plans in place but the guys don’t quite understand it, or realise what you want them to do, but it worked. We forced a good team into making mistakes in difficult areas of the pitch and we took full advantage when we did. It was fantastic.”

The Gills hassled and harried Crewe throughout and forced them into making defensive errors. Gillingham were 3-0 up by the break but Raynor was keen that they didn’t ease off.

He said: “We were still at them at half-time. You can get freak results, you read about them every week, comebacks from two or three down and we certainly didn’t want to be a headline and for them to turn it around.”

Gillingham repelled what Crewe threw at them at the start of the second half and got a fourth before the visitors pulled one back.

“We are just a little disappointed for (goalkeeper) Jack Bonham and the back four that we couldn’t keep a clean sheet, which I think they deserved," Raynor said.

“There are no easy games in this division and Crewe were 10 unbeaten, we had watched a lot of them, they’re a lively outfit, we saw that in the first seconds of the game. They had a great move early on and we were fortunate not to go behind, but were delighted with the way the boys pressed the game, the quality they showed and with a bit of composure in possession. It was a great all round performance.”

Jordan Graham partnered Vadaine Oliver in attack, in a change of formation. Graham got the first goal and assisted the second. There were also goals for Olly Lee (2) and Kyle Dempsey.

Raynor added: “When the team-sheet went in I don’t think anyone would have guessed the shape.

“We were brave, we didn’t just sit in, we went after it early, we turned it over and we were clinical. That is all you can ask.”

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Report: Gillingham 4 Crewe Alexandra 1

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