Preview: Gillingham manager Neil Harris facing former colleague Matt Gray in the opposite dugout at Sutton United; Ex Gills players Aiden O’Brien and Scott Kashket could feature in League 2 clash
05:00, 15 August 2023
updated: 09:53, 15 August 2023
Gillingham boss Neil Harris will enjoy seeing some old mates at Sutton on Tuesday - but there’s only one thing he’s there for.
The Gills have got their League 2 season off to a flyer with victories over Stockport and Accrington and travel to Sutton United on Tuesday night, looking to make it a hat-trick of wins.
Harris knows how tough it will be against Sutton - a side managed by his old Millwall scout and with plenty of familiar faces around the team too.
Matt Gray, the Sutton boss, worked for Harris during his time as Lions manager. The club’s director of football Terry Bullivant is another person Harris has worked with before at Millwall, then as chief scout.
Harris said: “When Matty was inbetween management jobs he came to scout with us at Millwall, a class man, absolutely class man. He got out to games and watched and shared time with us and we got the knowledge of his ability to judge a player.
“Terry Bullivant worked with me at Millwall and we had huge success. He’s a friend of mine, they are a really good combination.
“Sutton will be up for it, at home, playing against us. We will sell our allocation I am sure and try and get more. It will be a great atmosphere.
“What we have to do is make sure we stand up to it better than we did in the first eight minutes (on Saturday). Physically, competing for headers, that wasn’t a problem, it was the foot races, it was the ground duels, it was the walking, I had to shout ‘stop walking’, that was me demanding.
“They are big and physical, but also they can play as well, they handle the ball and they make really good decisions. They ask lots of questions of you.
“We have to be the best we can be of ourselves to stand up to them but then we have to remember to play at the right moments as well.”
There are some familiar names in the Sutton playing squad too, but there are questions over who will feature.
Former Gills forwards Scott Kashket and Aiden O’Brien both missed the game at the weekend as Sutton lost 2-1 at Barrow.
One of Harris’ former players Harry Smith - who the Gills were linked with in the summer - was sent off early in the match and could be suspended.
Harris let Kashket go for free this summer after a struggle last term but said: “Kash has got great attributes, very (Ashley) Nadesan-like, plays off the shoulder and can run.
“Harry Smith got sent off and is a player that played for me at Millwall. We took him out of non-league local here (signing him from Folkestone) and he scored goals for me.
“Aiden O’Brien is there who was here last year, another one of my former players, and Craig Eastmond who I played with.
“There are players there I know very well, lads I enjoyed playing with or working with, really good lads. I look forward to seeing them but we are going there for one reason, three points.”
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