Gareth Ainsworth admits he was emotional after Gillingham broke club record

Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth admitted he was choking up at the final whistle as his side survived a “crazy” first half to beat Newport 3-1 and secure a club-record 21-game unbeaten run.

Struggling County were the last team to beat the Gills back on March 4 on their previous visit to Rodney Parade, and Ainsworth’s men were behind with just 26 seconds on the clock on their return to south Wales.

Nathan Opoku headed in Bobby Kamwa’s cross after a flowing attacking move straight from the kick-off caught the visitors cold.

It could have been worse for the new Sky Bet League Two leaders as Cameron Antwi saw a ninth-minute penalty saved by Glenn Morris.

Bradley Dack then fired the Gills level after 23 minutes before Jonny Smith produced a stunning strike from 30 yards to put them ahead nine minutes before the break.

Dack scored from the spot after Matt Baker felled Sam Gale to wrap up the three points just before half-time.

“I don’t know how to put the first half into words – it was the most crazy 45 minutes I’ve been involved with for a long time,” said Ainsworth.

“They surprised us with some really good play in the first five minutes and we weren’t ready for it. We looked shellshocked but I had a smile on my face because I know my boys, I know what I’ve got here.

“I did worry when they got the penalty, but that save was a massive turning point.

“I was emotional at the end,” he added. “That is so special for this group of players. To break the record, they’ll go down in history now. I can’t thank them enough for their efforts. And with these fans behind us, you can feel it, we’ve got something really special going.”

By contrast, Exiles boss David Hughes is under pressure after a seventh defeat in eight games left his side sitting 22nd in the table.

“You always have pressure in every job,” said Hughes. “I don’t have any fear for my job. It’s precarious, it’s a difficult situation.

“I love working with the players and trying to help them. We don’t feel as though they’re a million miles away, but that last step is a very big one – to turn a performance into a victory.

“We’ll keep going. We’ve got another tough week ahead of us, but I’m definitely not throwing in the towel.

“I’m not sure the neutral is walking away [from this game] with the message that we’re a bottom-three team, with the level of performance.

“But, ultimately, the only way to turn that around is with three points. We need to find a way [to win].”