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Assistant manager Paul Raynor reflects on 'hard defeat to take' as Gillingham look to extend League 1 unbeaten run to 16 games against AFC Wimbledon

Gillingham face the last side to beat them as they continue their bid to gatecrash the League 1 play-offs.

AFC Wimbledon inflicted a 1-0 defeat on the Gills last November but there’s been no stopping them since then.

A frustrated Paul Raynor and defender Barry Fuller with match officials at the final whistle after Gills' defeat to AFC Wimbledon in November Picture: Ady Kerry
A frustrated Paul Raynor and defender Barry Fuller with match officials at the final whistle after Gills' defeat to AFC Wimbledon in November Picture: Ady Kerry

They meet at Priestfield this Saturday with the hosts determined to make it 16 games unbeaten.

Assistant manager Paul Raynor said: “That was a hard one to take at Wimbledon because other than putting the ball in the net, we put in a really strong performance.

“Although we lost, people started to believe that day because we played particularly well, we were on the front foot, we created chances.

“We didn’t get the rub of the green from the referee but we saw the little shoots of what was to come and we’ve taken it on since then.

“We didn’t enjoy getting beat that day, just the manner of it.

“We hated that feeling and we’ve not had it since. That doesn’t mean to say we’ve been delighted with every performance.

“It’s been a workmanlike run of games but we also think we could have taken more points.

“Fifteen unbeaten is great but we’ve thrown away some points here and there.

“We’re still hard on ourselves. We don’t think, ‘oh, we’re fantastic, we’re unbeaten in 15’, we just think, ‘we’re doing okay but we’re not getting carried away’.

“We want to be competitive, we want the boys to be confident but there’s a fine line between complacency and confidence.”

The Gills have no injury worries going into the game against a Dons side who are seven without a win.

They have a five-point cushion over the bottom three but need a couple of victories to ease any relegation worries.

Raynor said: “I know Glyn Hodges, their manager, very well.

“I worked with him at Sheffield United’s academy for a couple of years, and he’s a very good coach and an experienced guy who’s got them well-organised, well-drilled and buying into what he wants them to do.

“We’re high on confidence, they need some points, they’ll feel they’ve turned us over once and can do it again. It makes for an interesting game.”

Joe Pigott, a former Gills loanee, scored AFC Wimbledon’s winner at Priestfield last season.

He has eight goals this term and is a player the hosts are wary of.

Raynor said: “He’s a good player, very mobile, aggressive and he causes teams problems.

“If you give him the service and the ammunition he’ll be a handful.”

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