‘We are in a similar position’ - Why Gillingham boss Steve Evans compared his side to Doncaster Rovers

The Gills host Rovers on Saturday with Evans drawing similarities between the current situation at both clubs.

Gillingham currently sit five points behind Rovers and seven off the top six having gone 12 unbeaten in League One. They further strengthened their position courtesy of a 95th minute winner at Blackpool in midweek – a night when new signing John Akinde grabbed his first goal for the club.

Evans has declared Saturday as ‘really big’ for his side - and believes Rovers will be looking at it in the same manner.

“What you can’t do, and I have said it to the boys, you can’t get to May and watch the play-offs and say ‘what if’ and say that we are better than them,” Evans told Kent Online.

“Ifs don’t count. We need to average two points and in our last two we have got four points.

“Saturday is really big because us and Doncaster are in a similar position. We both can strike, or can slip away.”

The two sides have played twice already this season - drawing 1-1 on the opening day of the season at the Keepmoat before the Gills triumphed 3-0 at the Priestfield Stadium in the FA Cup in December.

Evans is full of praise for the work done by Rovers boss Darren Moore - someone he referred to as a Premier League manager.

And he expects Moore to have done his homework on the challenges Gillingham will pose.

“Darren Moore has done a brilliant job,” Moore said.

“He has got them playing the way he wants them to.

“It’s a different Doncaster team to the one we played in the FA Cup and the league.

“They have some outstanding players and a good manager, a Championship – if not a Premier League – manager.

He will have them organised and will have done his homework on us.

“We just need to have a bit of a rallying call on Thursday, make sure we get as many players available as we can.”