Gillingham manager Steve Lovell is predicting FA Cup success for his side when they face Hartlepool in their first round replay on Wednesday evening.
The Gills were held 0-0 at Priestfield last Saturday and now face a trip to the North East to lock horns with the fifth tier outfit once more, but Lovell is confident his side have enough in their locker to earn their place in the second round against Slough Town.
“If we perform like we did Saturday we won’t have a problem,” he said, speaking to Kent Online. “If they play the same way and sit behind the ball, we have plans to remedy that.”
The Gills have struggled with inconsistency in the league this season, pulling memorable wins out of the bag against Portsmouth and Fleetwood, but recently losing to both Blackpool and Oxford.
They’re currently 19th in the table and facing a relegation battle, with the FA Cup game causing a break in routine. The manager feels that shouldn’t be an issue for his players.
“It will be a cold night up at Hartlepool but we have to be prepared. We are going up on Wednesday, it will change it a little bit for us but there are no excuses, it is another game of football. It will change the routine a bit, but so what? We are professional footballers and we get on and do it.”
Our View
This won’t be easy for Gillingham at all. Hartlepool have a nice mix of young talent, such as Niko Muir, and Football league quality players such as Liam Noble.
They’re 12th in the National League and could use a cup win as a springboard. Lovell had best be aware!
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