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Gillingham take on Carlisle United at Priestfield on Saturday as manager Neil Harris continues to focus on League 2 survival

Gillingham boss Neil Harris says the quality can wait as they look to make their Football League status secure.

A 2-1 home win over Crewe on Tuesday night wasn’t an easy watch at times but it was a result that took the Gills 10 points clear of the League 2 relegation zone.

Gillingham will be looking to maintain their excellent home form this Saturday
Gillingham will be looking to maintain their excellent home form this Saturday

Harris makes no apology for putting style on the back-burner as he makes sure Gillingham’s Football League safety is achieved.

Speaking after their latest win - an eighth in Gills' last 14 games - he said: “I just want to keep winning games, to get into a position where we can start looking above rather than below, then we can enjoy the games.

“We had to try and be patient first half (on Tuesday) and break down a low block. We made some poor decisions, but we found a way and I can’t credit my players enough, that is all that matters at this stage of football, winning games of football.

“We found a way to score two goals and that is all that matters. Maybe in the last couple of games (this season) and then in pre-season I can worry about making us better with the football.

“I will watch the game back to show the players how we can be slightly better but for me, that is something we deal with in the summer. At the moment it is about finding ways to win games and I thought the subs when they came on made a huge impact.

“It was our poorest home performance in our last seven but we found a way to win so I am not going to bemoan my players but what I do know is that when we play better teams, Carlisle [who visit on Saturday] are a better team than Crewe, we are going to have to be better than that on Saturday.”

Saturday’s visitors moved up to third in the table after a goalless draw at Bradford City on Tuesday night.

Harris said: “Carlisle will play 5-3-2 and they can handle the football but they can mix it as well, they are a good well-organised league 2 team, we will have to be at our best.”

Victory for the Gills on Tuesday night took them past the 40-point mark and well on the road to securing their EFL safety. A weekend win could move them up to the dizzy heights of 16th.

“To get over 41 points is a huge hurdle, massive,” said Harris. “Credit to the players, but we’ve nine games to go, we’ve achieved nothing, we just have to go again.

“I am loving winning at home and I want to win at home on Saturday. We have tough games in front of us but we are due a result and a performance against a top side and we have Carlisle who have now gone into the top three here on Saturday and let’s ask serious questions of them now.”

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