Ainsworth questions standard of players after loss

Ainsworth questions his squad's League Two standard after Gillingham's 4-1 home defeat to Grimsby, their second loss to the Mariners by that scoreline in six months.

Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth has questioned whether some of his players meet League Two standards following a 4-1 home defeat to Grimsby Town on Saturday. It was the second time in six months the Gills had lost to the Mariners at Priestfield by the same scoreline.

With Gillingham now 12th in the table, two points off the play-offs but only five points above the relegation zone, Ainsworth was critical of his side's second-half performance. "They've put the ball in our goal four times and that's not acceptable at home," he told BBC Radio Kent. He felt his team edged the first half but fell apart after the break, struggling with the worsening conditions and losing aerial battles. "We got carved apart," Ainsworth said. "They are committed but can some of them still reach the levels of this league? I've got to question it."

Looking ahead to the winter months, Ainsworth acknowledged he may need to sign players capable of matching opponents' physical approach, though he expressed reluctance to abandon his preferred style of play.