Gillingham head coach Stephen Clemence takes his side to League 2 high-flyers Wrexham on Saturday for his first league game
05:00, 09 November 2023
Gillingham’s new head coach Stephen Clemence has had two cup games to settle in - but gets down to business this Saturday.
Clemence, who has now been in the job a week, takes the Gills to Wrexham for an intriguing clash between two ambitious sides hoping to be in the League 2 promotion mix this season.
Cup progress is a bonus for Clemence. His team won 2-0 at Hereford last Saturday to book a place in the FA Cup Second Round but then lost at Priestfield to Fulham under-21s on Tuesday night, a result which ended their EFL Trophy interest.
Those cup games have given Clemence a closer look at the squad he’s inherited but league points are what matter.
“I am really looking forward to getting involved in the league,” said Clemence.
“Of course you want to get into the next round of the FA Cup and we have done that after a couple of days of training.
“[Tuesday’s] game was a good opportunity to get minutes into people, but from my point of view it is about how we do in the league this season.
“It almost feels like it is going to be my first game this weekend and that is what I am really looking forward to.”
Clemence was handed the head coach role with the Gills to permanently replace sacked manager Neil Harris and he takes over a team sitting ninth in the table - 10 points off top spot.
Third-placed Wrexham, with Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are a club going places after returning to the Football League following their National League title success last season.
“It will be a very tough challenge,” Clemence predicted.
“They have done very well for a few years now, [have] a very good manager (Phil Parkinson) who is highly respected and rightly so. They have a really good squad.
“I believe they have one or two issues with injury and suspension but whoever they put out it will be a very tough game.
“They have a good home crowd and they will be right behind them so the boys are going to have to be ready for it.
“I have a real opportunity now to get two days’ work into the boys this week (on Thursday and Friday) and we will be fully prepared.
“We will have a plan going into the game. It’s a hard place to go, they have had a great few years at Wrexham.
“It is a club that seems to be on the up, but there is no reason why we can’t go there and take them on. We aren’t going to go there and roll over.”
The Gills will be well backed with all of their 1,165 ticket allocation sold well in advance of the fixture at the Racecourse Ground.
“That is fantastic,” said Clemence. “We will try and give them something to shout about. That will be the aim.”
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