Head coach Stephen Clemence was pleased with Gillingham’s performance and result after they won 1-0 at Colchester to record back-to-back wins in League Two.
Scott Malone grabbed the all-important winner in the 54th minute when he collected Dom Jefferies’ pass and escaped Jayden Fevrier’s challenge near the touchline before advancing into the area and planting a deflected shot past Owen Goodman at his near post.
Gillingham had struck the woodwork through Oli Hawkins’ header before half-time and Shad Ogie’s close-range effort hit a post after Malone’s goal but one strike proved enough for the visitors.
Clemence said: “The performance level was really good again. It’s been like that for a number of games now.
“I just felt we had to lift our urgency a touch and I told them that at half-time, even though we had three really good chances in the first half.
“To be fair to them they had a good chance too but at the start of the second half I thought our intensity levels went up again and we really got on top of them.
“Thankfully, we scored when we were on top and there were a number of opportunities where we probably could have won more comfortably.
“I’m really pleased and it gives us something to build on.
“I’m really starting to see a shift and improvement in our play now and we’ve got to keep it going now and keep that consistency and we’re looking forward to the next game.”
Colchester’s defeat was their eighth in their last nine league matches and they were left to rue Joe Taylor’s 14th-minute gilt-edged miss at the far post from Noah Chilvers’ cross.
The result leaves the U’s five points above the League Two relegation zone and boss Matty Etherington said: “We’re on a poor run, what can I say?
“Between both boxes, I thought we more than competed with Gillingham. I thought we defended a lot better but we’re not taking those key moments.
“The quality and decision-making isn’t right and that’s what’s holding us back.
“The game became open, especially at the start of the second half. They had a little spell when they got their goal and I thought our players reacted to the goal well.
“For the remainder of the game, we were the team that was pressing, we’re just lacking the quality.
“(Malone) was crossing the ball and it’s taken a deflection off that and ended up in the back of the net, beating Owen at his near post and that’s the way it’s going at the minute.
“It’s a tough time. I’m getting on with it one foot in front of the other but it’s not easy.”
Marta named in Brazil's Olympics squad as Elias hails 'greatest athlete of all time'
Marta will play in her sixth Olympics after she was named in Brazil's squad for the Paris Games by coach Arthur Elias, who described her as "the greatest athlete of all time".
The Selecao's all-time leading scorer with 118 goals, the 38-year-old will appear at her final tournament with her country, having announced in April she will retire from international duty at the end of the year.
Marta has already made Olympics history. In Tokyo, she became the first player - male or female - to score at five successive Games, while she was part of the side that won silver medals in 2004 and 2008.
And Elias welcomed the inclusion of the six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, who has scored four times for Orlando Pride in the NWSL this season.
"She brings a lot to the table, she's the greatest athlete of all time," he said. "She's playing well, she deserved to be on this list.
"Marta's performance, her behaviour - with or without the ball - makes all the athletes see her as an example.
"I have the challenge of finding a way of playing to maximise her game. But she knows that you can only win with everyone."
Brazil begin their campaign against Nigeria on July 25, while they will also play Japan and 2023 World Cup winners Spain in Group C.
Rangnick disappointed by set-piece frailties but lauds entertaining Austria in Euro 2024 exit
Ralf Rangnick expressed frustration at aspects of Austria's defensive showing but lauded their entertainment factor after the exit at Euro 2024, where other games have been "difficult to stay awake for".
Austria topped Group D ahead of France and the Netherlands but were exposed from two corners in their last-16 defeat against Turkiye, who triumphed 2-1 in Leipzig on Tuesday.
Merih Demiral capitalised just 57 seconds into the encounter after Arda Guler's set-piece caused carnage, before the same combination provided another telling blow in the second half.
Austria have now fallen at the first knockout stage in back-to-back editions of the Euros, though Rangnick was far from displeased with his battling side.
"We didn't have the necessary luck," the Austria manager told reporters. "I believe if the game had gone to extra time we would have had a chance to win, the Turks were fairly exhausted towards the end, but we had a physical advantage."
"We didn't score enough goals, not enough chances and the set pieces, we didn't defend well. For the second goal, we had three players very good at headers, but Demiral still scored, and if you're two goals behind, it's not easy.
"The four games we played were very entertaining, including today's game. Not everything was accurate, we could have played a few passes better.
"Four entertaining games, super intense – I saw games that were difficult to stay awake for, but that is not the case with us."
Austria recorded an expected goals figure of 2.7 against Turkiye, the most by a team that failed to progress from the Euros knockouts since France against Switzerland in the 2020 round of 16 (3.1).
That entertainment cited by Rangnick was clear to see as Austria were thwarted by Mert Gunok's eye-catching stop in the last minute from Christoph Baumgartner's downward header.
"We are very happy, it is difficult to find words right now," Turkiye's goalkeeping hero Gunok said after his country progressed to the last eight of a major tournament for the first time in 16 years.
"It was a great win, I thank everyone who supported us, I thank our supporters, people and citizens who continued to support us and prayed for us.
"We still have a long way to go, if it's God's will we will go to the very end. We believe this. This win took us to the next level in terms of morale and confidence."
Demiral was the hero at the other end, becoming the first defender to score twice in a game at a major tournament (World Cup/Euros) since John Stones for England versus Panama at the 2018 World Cup.
"I would like to first say this – how happy is the one who says I am a Turk? We experienced incredible moments thanks to our supporters," centre-back Demiral added.
Vincenzo Montella will hope that the Turkish pair can deliver once more when they meet the Netherlands, who overcame Romania 3-0 on Tuesday, in the last eight in Berlin on Saturday.
Euro 2024 Data Dive: Magic Malen seals Dutch progression, Demiral heroics send Turkiye through
In the blink of an eye, the Euro 2024 last-16 round is over after Tuesday wrapped up this stage of the competition.
The Netherlands are in the quarter-finals after producing arguably their best performance in Germany, sweeping Group E winners Romania aside with ease.
Turkiye overcame Group D winners Austria in Leipzig and will meet Ronald Koeman's side in the last eight, with the winner potentially facing England in the semi-finals.
After another action-packed day of knockout football, we take a deep dive into the best statistics from the day, using Opta numbers.
Romania 0-3 Netherlands: Malen, Gakpo and Simons star for Oranje
The Netherlands eased past Romania 3-0 to banish demons of previous years by progressing through a European Championship knockout game for the first time since their 2004 penalty shoot-out win over Sweden.
Excluding shoot-out victories, this convincing victory in Munich – inspired by Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen – was the Dutch's first win in the Euros knockout stages since beating Yugoslavia 6-1 in 2000.
Gakpo scored three goals at the 2022 World Cup and has three so far at this tournament after his fine first-half finish, becoming just the third Dutch player to score 3+ goals at two different major tournaments, along with Johnny Rep (1974 and 1978 World Cups) and Dennis Bergkamp (Euro 1992, World Cups in 1994 and 1998).
In fact, across those last two major international tournaments, only France's Kylian Mbappe (nine goals in 10 games) can better Gakpo's six-strike tally in nine appearances among European players.
The Liverpool man played an instrumental part in the Netherlands' second goal, too, setting up Malen, who added another late on to become the first player to score twice in a single game at Euro 2024.
Malen is also the first substitute to score a brace at the Euros since Savo Milosevic in 2000 for Yugoslavia against Slovenia, but the role of those two forwards should not take away from Xavi Simons' credit.
Simons set up Gakpo's opener, as well as assisting against Austria in Group D, and is the youngest player (21 years, 72 days) to assist in consecutive Euros appearances since Switzerland's Eren Derdiyok at Euro 2008 (20 years, 3 days).
That trio were integral as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals in consecutive major tournaments for the first time since doing so at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
In stark contrast, Romania have now won just two out of 20 matches at the European Championships (D6 L12), with their 10% win ratio the lowest of any nation to play 10+ games in the competition.
Austria 1-2 Turkiye: Record-breaking Demiral secures quarter-final berth
Merih Demiral will be the toast of Turkiye after his double, including a record-breaking opener, powered his side to a 2-1 win over Austria and into the European Championships last eight for the third time.
Demiral needed just 57 seconds to open the scoring, the fastest goal in Euros knockout history and the second earliest in the entire competition ever, to help the Crescent Stars grab another world record.
Turkiye now boast the fastest knockout goal at the Euros, as well as at FIFA's top event (since records began in 1966), with Hakan Sukur also netting after 11 seconds against Korea Republic at the 2002 World Cup.
Yet Demiral was not done there, adding another after the interval to become the first defender to score twice in a game at a major tournament since John Stones for England versus Panama at the 2018 World Cup.
He is also the first player in his position to manage two goals in a knockout-stage game since France's Lilian Thuram against Croatia in the 1998 World Cup semi-finals.
Ralf Rangnick's side halved the arrears through Michael Gregoritsch, who has scored four goals in two appearances against Turkiye, with his other 12 goals for his nation coming against 12 different opponents.
That goal was not enough for Austria but, they achieved a bizarre feat in the process, with this the first match on record (since 1980) at the European Championship to see as many as three goals come via set-pieces.
Austria will look back with regret after consecutive last-16 exits at the Euros, having also accumulated the most expected goals (2.7) by a team that failed to progress from a Euros knockout stage tie, since France against Switzerland in the Euro 2020 round of 16 (3.1).
Turkiye, by contrast, will be looking to the future after they became the second team in the competition's history to name two teenagers (Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler) in their starting XI for a knockout stage game, following Hungary in 1964 against Denmark.
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