More on KentOnline
Gillingham manager Neil Harris felt his side missed an opportunity to pull off a cup shock on Saturday.
His team created chances and got into good areas against Leicester City in their FA Cup third round tie but couldn’t make the Premier League team pay.
Kelechi Iheanacho scored the only goal of the game to win the match at Priestfield 1-0.
Harris said: “Leicester had some good opportunities to counter attack (once they went 1-0 up) when we chased the game and we opened up but my only disappointment, which I said to the players, is that I thought we had a bit of a missed opportunity to cause an upset.
"We didn’t have those moments in the final third, the quality, once we got there. Whether it was set-plays or open-play, we got there enough, we just didn’t quite have the quality.
“We didn’t make it fall for us, that is the anticipation of being on the front-foot and the reading of the game, that is what separates Premier League players and League 2. It was just disappointing that once we got into areas and had those chances we didn’t anticipate but that is why we are bottom of the Football League.”
It wasn’t to be for the Gills but Harris was proud of their efforts. It was their 35th game of the season and third time they had faced Premier League opponents in cup competitions.
Harris said: “Everyone knew that Leicester would dominate with the football, they came with a shape to protect behind the ball but also to get extra bodies infront of us and we had to be organised and disciplined, we had to play the 5-4-1 or drop into a 6-3-1 at times.
“We knew that sometimes the superior opponent takes slightly more risks, it gives us more opportunity, and that is what happened.
“For 55 minutes (before the goal) we were excellent, gave very little away, were strong on the counter-attack, played with energy, we competed, asked questions of the opponent. I was absolutely delighted with the group.
“When you concede it does at times make you open up a little bit, my goalkeeper made a couple of really good saves as well. I've no complaints with the result.”
Harris felt there was a foul in the build-up to the winning goal, however. Kelechi Iheanacho scored it.
He said: “I was disappointed in the goal in the sense of just decision making with it but I thought it was a foul (by Jamie Vardy on Robbie McKenzie) in the build-up. Clever? A nudge. Do you get them? If it had been the other end the referee gives it.
“I thought the referee was good, not a lot to do, not a lot wrong, but if he had given the foul nobody would have batted an eyelid, which says to me it was a foul.”