Gillingham manager Mark Bonner says their run of five consecutive defeats in League Two has been "rotten".

The Gills were top of the division just 22 days ago, but a 2-0 loss at home to Newport on Tuesday night left them in 11th place.

Bonner lamented their dramatic slide down the table but doesn't believe they are playing badly.

"We can't lose that game," Bonner told BBC Radio Kent.

"The run of results we are on is rotten and it just becomes a horrible night for us - a horrible result.

"We gave them the game in the first half. It's the most dominant we've been by miles in any game, but it doesn't matter."

Two goals inside the first 33 minutes by Matt Baker and Kyle Hudlin were enough to condemn Gillingham to defeat at Priestfield despite their second-half dominance.

"We've had good chances in the game, yet we come off not scoring, losing," Bonner said.

"I thought we were way, way better than they were if I'm being honest, but we haven't done enough to score a goal and we haven't done enough to stop them.

"So in the end, what an idiot I am saying that because obviously that isn't the case."

Bonner said it's "fairly easy" to chase a game when you're behind and challenged his team to play with the same urgency earlier in matches.

"We've got to be [like] that at 0-0 and at 1-0," Bonner added.

Gillingham now trail league leaders Port Vale by eight points and are two points adrift of the play-off spots before their trip to Swindon Town on Saturday.