Steve Evans said his Bristol Rovers team must deliver a big performance if they want to create history when the Gas welcome Exeter City to The Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
The Pirates are on the verge of a club record of 11 straight home league victories after a 1-0 win over Rotherham United almost three weeks ago made it ten on the bounce at BS7.
However, Rovers know they will have a tough test against the Grecians, whom they have not beaten at The Mem since April 2016. Exeter have won one of their first seven matches, a 2-0 home win over Accrington Stanley, but will be looking to get the better of the Gas in the West Country derby.
Speaking to the media before the match, Evans wants to make history on Saturday and has a special plan if the Gas claim all three points.
GILLINGHAM REACTION
"The reaction has been good in training, but it was last week. We have to step up to a level of performance that gives us an opportunity to be on the front foot and play as positively as we've done a lot of times when I have been the manager or head coach here.
"The boys are well aware that we dipped below standards, and we'll see if we can bring it back to the top of that level because we're going to need it against an Exeter side that's improved rapidly in the last month or so."
EXETER CITY PREVIEW
"We have an opportunity; everyone in the stadium from a Gas perspective has an opportunity to watch history be made, but to watch it, you have to deliver it, and we have to deliver a big performance.
"There are some players in that Exeter side who will line up against us that have played for me, so I know how tough it's going to be. I know Matt Taylor from a distance, but I know him as a manager, and he'll be determined to come back for his own personal pride and try and win the game.
"So, we know that everything has to be right for us to win. We know it's a local derby and it will be a full house. The atmosphere will be electric, like it is at The Mem, and we want to make history for our supporters."
IN THE THATCHERS AFTER THE GAME
"If we make history, we are not going to go back in the dressing room; we'll go into the Thatchers Bar, players and staff. We are all going to go in because it is not often in football that you get an opportunity to get a club that has been going since 1883 to make history.
"A lot of those fans have supported this club for 60, 70, 80 years, even. I was talking to an 83-year-old gentleman the other day, talking about his birthday, and he'll be here on Saturday. So, we're going to enjoy it with the people who are the real owners of this football club, but to do that, we have to win."
"I want to be the manager in 50 or 60 years' time, when another manager is sitting in this chair, wanting to break my record. I have equalled it, but at the moment I am one of three. I want to be one of one."
INJURY NEWS
"Keenan has trained with us in the last couple of days, and we have got one or two knocks from Gillingham, but we will keep them in-house.
"Riley Harbottle will probably be out for six or seven weeks. He's had a little operation, but he's had a week at home this week. Riley will come back in on Monday. He's a big loss to use.
"We're missing some big players at the moment. We'll be missing different big players at different times. We had Shaq Forde out for a while; we've had Keenan out for a while; we've had Riley out for a while. We had Ellis out at the start of the season.
"Our squad has been tested, but our squad was put in place to cover testing times, and arguably, we've got two or three players in the last week in a closed-door game and in training that are suddenly looking like they are back to their best. We have a good opportunity to have a fresh team for Saturday."
ALFIE KILGOUR
“He trained really well, and he's come forward a million miles in two weeks from where he was. That's just if you have a double hernia operation and you're running and walking mechanisms all change because of the restrictions that it places.
"I have always said that Alfie Kilgour is a warrior, and I'm proud to have kept him as captain in the summer. One million per cent the correct decision."
