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Gillingham first team coach Nicky Southall writes exclusively for the KM Group

08:00, 20 April 2012

We are looking to put Swindon’s celebrations on hold this weekend and it is definitely a must-win game for us.

Yes, we could still get in there if we don’t but if we can get that all-important win and results go for us, we will be one point away with two games left.

Luke Rooney celebrates after scoring from the spot
Luke Rooney celebrates after scoring from the spot

We need to take the game to them in a fixture that had become a bit of a grudge match over the years.

Our former player, Luke Rooney (pictured), could be starting against us and he is going to want to prove people wrong or right, or whatever.

We backed him at the start of the season and played him and he got a move off the back of it.

There is no animosity from us. Previous managers were reluctant to play him but we stuck by him. He deserved his move and he will want to do well here. But it is not just him as they have goals throughout the team. Matt Ritchie has been player-of-the- season in the league and rightly so, he has been terrific.

Swindon could seal the title this weekend and they have had a glorious season under Paolo Di Canio. In his first season as manager he has done terrific. He is a character, bubbly and good for the game. He is very passionate, as Italian people are.

WE’VE had all of our players tested for heart defects this week and it’s something that never used to happen.

But as we have seen with the recent case of Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba and just last week, when sadly an Italian player died on the pitch, it is something that needs to be done. Hopefully, it means problems can be picked up early.

Gillingham fans enjoy the Aston Villa FA Cup match
Gillingham fans enjoy the Aston Villa FA Cup match

WINGER Ashley Young has been making the headlines recently after winning a couple of dubious penalties for Manchester United.

It brought back memories of when Young won a penalty for Aston Villa against us in the FA Cup back in 2009.

He throws himself over in a certain way that makes it look like a bad challenge. He adjusts his body mid-flight and he did it against us in that FA Cup game. He is clever at it and wins penalties. I don’t agree with it and it’s wrong.

The problem is that unless a player goes over in the box, he is rarely going to get a penalty. If referees give more penalties when players don’t go down then it might stop diving. We had a situation in last week’s game at Oxford where Oli Johnson went down under a challenge from Joe Martin.

At first we thought, ‘is this going to be our unlucky day again’ where the referee is going to give a penalty but looking back on the DVD, he does go down easily.

The referee did the right thing and booked the player for diving. If players are shown a red card that would stop it. The referee got the decision spot-on.

Kent Matchday Live
Kent Matchday Live
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