Gavin Gunning was left with mixed emotions after Swindon's 3-3 draw with Gillingham

Gavin Gunning was left with mixed emotions after Swindon came from behind to draw 3-3 against Gillingham. Joe Acklam spoke to Gunning after the match.

After a frantic opening 15 minutes in which Swindon took the lead and then went down 3-1, Town managed to fight back in the second half courtesy of a Charlie Austin brace to earn a point.

Gunning said his team didn’t take on board his message from the start and it left him wanting to change the whole team at the break.

He said: “I have mixed emotions, I was very disappointed at half time, but it was a nice second half.

“I can’t be more proud, it was a fantastic second half performance, 45 minutes of to calibre football, they struggled and couldn’t deal with it.

“We lost our shape at times in the first half, everybody wanted to be in the forward line to score goals instead of giving depth and create space in the pockets like we had worked on and then the game plan went out of the window.

“I could have changed nearly one to 11 as I wasn’t going to let the game get away from us, because we were 3-1 down already, what is the worst that can happen? We could lose 5-1?

“I would rather go and lose like that then let the same performance go on in the second half.

“In the end it was only us in the game, even with ten-men, but you have to take your chances so it is a point gained probably, when you look at the first half, but in the second it is possibly two points dropped.”

Gunning was very pleased with the second half and how the players managed to adapt to the changes that he made.

He said: “We changed formation at half-time just to try and utilise the space that we could work in and the boys did a fantastic job, I am so proud of them.

“We made the three changes which could have gone terribly, but went really well, so I am happy.

“I think I have been brave, I could have easily just sat there and been like ‘I am not going to be the manager in the long term and someone else can do it’.

“With me going back to being a coach, maybe some lads won’t be happy that I have taken them off at half-time, but that doesn’t matter to me.

“You have to be a big man in football to get where you want to get to, so I am fine with that.

“If someone has a problem, then they can come and speak to me.”