DISAPPOINTED Blues boss Gary Waddock said his players need to be prepared to die for the cause after a disappointing second half display against Gillingham.

He said his side's second half showing wasn't good enough as the home campaign got off to a losing start.

Waddock admitted Wanderers lost to the better side but was disappointed at his team's slow reactions in both penalty areas.

Nobody reacted quickly enough to Myles Weston's free-kick coming back off the post in the build up to the only goal of the game, and Wanderers were out of luck on the occasions they ventured forward.

Waddock said: "Second half wasn't good enough. You need to put your body on the line in both penalty boxes. They reacted quicker to score. On a couple of occasions their keeper spilled it and we didn't react quickly enough to punish them.

"There was an opportunity where we could have got a head to a ball that was bouncing around and we weren't first to it. You have to anticipate in both boxes and die to get that goal."

Referring to the only goal of the game, scored by Gills' full-back Joe Martin, the Blues boss said: "The free-kick's been hit, Stuart Lewis has gone out to block it, it's taken a big deflection off his shin pad and it hit the post, but it's that next phase where we didn't react quick enough. Three of their players could have got a touch to it to score whereas we didn't have anybody close."

Wanderers had chances to score in a more even first half and Waddock said: "We didn't score when we were on top in the game. It's disappointing not being able to back up the result Saturday with a result today."

Waddock will be hoping to get back to winning ways as Blues host Bristol Rovers on Saturday and he says a quick turnaround in matches could work to their advantage.

He said: "You hopefully get that performance out the way and get a result and put this one to bed."