Gillingham boss Steve Evans would be confident in a play-off clash with Doncaster Rovers

Evans made the suggestion after the 2-2 draw between the two sides on Saturday which saw Rovers fight back from being 2-0 down after just four minutes.

Rovers needed to show resolve in the second half as Gillingham pushed hard for a winner and Evans took plenty of confidence from his side’s dominance of attacking territory.

"Our supporters would be entitled to be down, we go 2-0 up, we should be three up and be done, but it does happen sometimes in football,” the former Rotherham United manager said.

“I think those same supporters will recognise that in the second half there is one team pressing, one team putting balls into the box, one team with efforts at goal and one team who should have won and that is against a team that six weeks ago were described by many people as a different class to the likes of Gillingham.

“It’s a fact that early season when we went there they were, we lost 2-1 and it could have been seven or eight, that is the difference, we are very much in this race but we have a very tough game at Hull next week.

“Considering only a few weeks ago people were talking about Doncaster being a different level to us. I wouldn't mind playing them over two legs in the play-offs.”

Despite putting Rovers under pressure in the second half, Gillingham managed only four efforts on target in total, to two from their visitors.

Evans felt only one team was pushing for the win in the second half.

He said: “Second half there was one team trying to win the game, one team with all the play, one team with all the corners, free-kicks and movement around the box and we created two big chances, one for Macca [Alex MacDonald] and one for Kyle [Dempsey].

“You would expect those players to score but in fairness to the Doncaster boys they put their bodies on the line and kept them out.

“We have nothing other than disappointment, simple as that, two points left behind.”

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