Gillingham winger Jayden Clarke’s reaction after scoring his fourth goal of the season in defeat at Bradford City
05:00, 21 October 2024
Gillingham winger Jayden Clarke is confident that the results will turn around if they play like they did at the weekend.
Clarke opened the scoring for the Gills at Bradford on Saturday but they then conceded twice off set-pieces, one a corner and one a free-kick, allowing the hosts to take the lead and win the game 2-1.
The Gills have now lost their last four games in League 2.
But top-scorer Clarke, now with four for the season, said: “Before they scored, I thought we were actually really good.
“The running off the ball was good, on the ball was good and then I think it's quite unlike us to concede from two set-pieces. But apart from that, I don't think the performance was bad.
“If we keep playing like that, I'm sure results will come with it.
“Their goals definitely came against the run of play but that's football.
“I don't think that we deserved to lose at all. I think minimum a draw.”
Clarke felt they could have put the game beyond Bradford in that opening half, with a couple more chances to score once they went a goal up.
He said: “We could have got the three points in the first half. “We've just got to go again Tuesday against Newport.
“It's been a bad few games in terms of results.
“We're still quite high up in the table and it's still early in the season. It's only October.”
Clarke’s fourth goal of the season wasn’t a clinical finish but the shot went in off the post following a good build-up to produce the opening down the right side.
Clarke said: “It was something that we looked at before the game, down that side. I'm happy to get another goal.
“To be fair, the first touch, I thought I lost control a little bit and then even the strike, I thought I did slice it a little bit but you need luck sometimes.
“It was a good goal with the running off the ball from Lapo (Lapslie) and then on to Timmy (Dieng) and then back to me.”
Clarke swapped sides on Saturday. With Jack Nolan dropping out of the starting XI, he swapped from left to right flank as Joe Gbode came into the side.
“I don't mind playing on either side,” said the winger.
“I think for most right-footed players, I think they feel more comfortable on the left.
“I think it's the same so, I don't mind playing on either side.”
Looking ahead and remaining positive, Clarke added: “I think throughout the whole four games we've lost, (the manager has) been good with us.
“He said if we just keep performing how we have then results will turn.
“I know we've lost four games but we're all still positive and we're still trying to play it right.
“I think once you've lost a game, you want to get back out there and put it right. There's no better place to do it at home. So that's what we're going to try and do on Tuesday.”
