Gillingham boss Steve Lovell rued a difference in cutting edge on Saturday.

The Gills had more attempts at goal than visitors Southend but were beaten 2-0.

Simon Cox scored both of them with a quickfire double early in the second half.

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Report: Gillingham 0 Southend United 2

Reacting to the defeat, boss Lovell said: “First half we had the majority of it and had chances from set plays and general play but we never really looked like finishing them off.

“You can huff and puff and have 60% of the possession and more attempts at goal but it doesn’t count for anything if you lose the game. I am so disappointed.

“They rode their luck first half but they’ve got a little fella (Cox) who scored two goals and took them brilliantly. That was the difference in the game.

“He was a thorn in our side, again and we knew he would cause us problems. We didn’t get close enough to him, we knew what they could do, we worked on things to get close but if you don’t do them, then you get beat and that’s what happened.

“He scored two good goals and that’s the difference. A little bit of cutting edge between us, you can’t fault our boys for the effort they put in. We had a go at the end, we created a few things at the end but it just wasn’t our day.”

Southend scored their goals in the space of four second half minutes, the second coming on the break.

“They go past our midfield as if they are not there and finish it off,” said the manager.

“If I was Chris (Powell, Southend manager) out there I would be thinking, ‘excellent win’. It doesn’t matter how much ball you have or how many chances you create, they scored two goals and won the game and that is what this league is all about.

“It is all about taking your opportunities when they come and not giving the opposition goals. I thought we gave them two goals.”

The Gills had a number of attempts in the latter stages, commiting men forward, but the goals wouldn’t come.

Lovell said: “We had a go, we tried to play right to the end, we had chances. Tom Eaves had two or three, Mark Byrne had a header, Bradley Stevenson had a great shot saved.

“They didn’t drop their heads, none of them did, I will stick up for them all the way through because they have worked their hardest and if anyone is going to take the blame then I am going to take it.

“I won’t put the blame on the players, they did everything they could to get a result.”