‘Absolute pride’: Gareth Ainsworth praises Gillingham’s response to opening day defeat after hard-earned point at Fleetwood
23.08.26, 01:02 Updated 23.08.26, 02:20
Simon Head
After Gillingham’s worrying capitulation to Walsall at Priestfield on opening day, manager Gareth Ainsworth wanted to see a response from his team. And at Fleetwood Town’s Highbury Stadium, he got one.
In a tight, scrappy, contest, Gillingham demonstrated their resolve and resilience as they kept a clean sheet to earn a goalless draw to pick up their first point of the 2026/27 League Two campaign.
Before he launched into his praise for his team, he addressed the big negative from Highbury Stadium, as winger Kadeem Harris was stretchered off with 20 minutes to go.
“Listen, my main emotive one right now is my concern over Kadeem Harris,” he told Gills TV after the match.
Become a member today.
Gills 365 needs its community to support independent, high-quality coverage of Gillingham. Subscribe to a monthly or annual package today to be a part of something special.
Already have an account? Sign in
Related Topics
Simon Head is the founding editor of Gills 365. A veteran sports journalist and editor with more than 25 years in the industry, he has written for major news outlets, broadcasters and sports organisations around the world. Simon is a longtime Gillingham season ticket holder, and has been a regular at Priestfield since the mid-1990s.