Gareth Ainsworth proud of Gillingham after hard-earned point at Colchester

Gareth Ainsworth felt both teams deserved credit after his Gillingham side claimed a 0-0 draw at Colchester.

The Gills moved into the League Two play-off places with the point, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Chances were at a premium for both sides, with Colchester’s Kyreece Lisbie denied by goalkeeper Jake Turner and U’s defender Jack Tucker clearing Gillingham’s Aaron Rowe’s effort from near his own goal-line, in the first half.

Colchester goalkeeper Matt Macey saved from Bradley Dack who also lifted a shot onto the roof of the net for the visitors, as the points were shared.

Gillingham boss Ainsworth said: “I’m really proud of the boys and this is a tough place to come to.

“Danny Cowley has got them fighting and playing really well, so you have to give them credit but then the credit is to us, because we’ve contained a team that not many teams have been able to contain lately.

“The conditions of the game caused an issue and the wind was unbelievable in the first half.

“They had a big striker up front who caused us some problems and I thought he was very good in the first half, getting involved in a few scuffles and coming out on top.

“It changed in the second half and we managed to get the ball further down the pitch at times and played a little bit more and I thought we had a lot of chances, in that second half.

“Bradley Dack is gutted in there because he wants to hit the target.”

Colchester moved up to ninth with the draw and boss

Danny Cowley said: “I’m really proud that we’ve come so far as a team.

“We were playing a big hitter in the division and have really good finance and transfer fees in the summer and in previous windows as well.

“We took a lot of confidence in the fact that they came and changed their system and style and how they wanted to play and adapted to what we’ve done.

“I think we should take a lot of confidence from that and it shows that we’re becoming a good team.

“But to be the team that we want to be, we have to find a way of beating teams when they come and they adapt the way that they did.

“For us, they did all they could to stop our transition and we know that we carry threat.

“I think at half-time, there was 14 fouls and they stopped us by every means and I’m not moaning about that or criticising Gillingham for that but I would like the referees to understand and that deliberate fouls should just be a yellow card.”