Gareth Ainsworth: I didn’t see who scored Gillingham’s late winner

Gareth Ainsworth admitted he did not initially know the identity of Gillingham’s late, late match winner in their 1-0 League Two victory away to Barrow.

But the Gills boss still celebrated wildly as Robbie McKenzie’s fourth goal of the season – in the 13th minute of stoppage-time – ended the Kent side’s run of three-successive defeats.

It also gave away side a first win at Holker Street since October 1967.

Barrow initially cleared Lenni Cirino’s corner but Euan Williams fired goalwards and McKenzie did the rest from six yards out.

“I asked the kitman and (midfielder) Brad (Bradley Dack), ‘who scored’? They didn’t know, but we had scored,” said Ainsworth.

“I thought it was Sam Vokes. If it was him, that would have been a great sub.

“It ended up being Robbie McKenzie but absolutely fine with that – he had an outstanding game.

“But the scenes in the dressing room afterwards were fantastic.”

The lengthy injury time was largely due to a second-half leg injury to Barrow striker Jovan Malcolm.

He needed oxygen on the pitch and was eventually carried off on a stretcher following a tackle by substitute Ethan Coleman.

Referee Ross Joyce took no action against Coleman for the 63rd-minute incident, though home fans were incensed by the challenge.

“We really hope he is OK,” added Ainsworth. “It was a full-blooded tackle.

“It is League Two football and shows the commitment. (Barrow boss) Dino Maamria has his boys committed but so do I.

“It was a fifty-fifty in the middle of the park and we wish the boy well. My players were saying it looked like he had a nasty gash on his leg.

“Hopefully, it is not much more than that. But I do wish him well and hopefully he will be back soon.”

On Gillingham’s win, Ainsworth added: “I hope none of our fans left early because they missed out on a treat.

“I said to the boys before the game ‘come on this journey with me’. Bradley Dack said the final word before we go out of the dressing room because he has been on the journey so long.

“We started well and certainly finished well.”

Maamria refused to comment on the second-half flashpoint, saying: “I haven’t seen the incident.

“But Jovan is in hospital and is being well looked after. It is sad to see.”

On a third-successive defeat, he added: “We didn’t do enough to win the game. A draw was deserved but it is another lesson. When you don’t get after things, that happens.

“We must go and get points, we must get after teams. We must show bravery and commitment.

“We started the game with a cheap free-kick and we finished it with a cheap corner. Ultimately, that’s what cost us.”