SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Tuesday February 13th, 7.45pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Ash Taylor 55
GILLINGHAM 2
Josh Parker 6
Tom Eaves 18
Attendance: 5,123 (419 away fans)
Cobblers: Richard O’Donnell, Brendan Moloney, Joe Bunney, Ash Taylor, Jordan Turnbull, Sam Hoskins (sub Gboly Ariyibi 55), Sam Foley (sub Hildeberto Pereira 46), Matt Grimes, Daniel Powell (sub Boris Mathis 83), John-Joe O’Toole, Chris Long
Subs not used: David Cornell, Leon Barnett, Matt Crooks, Shaun McWilliams
Gillingham: Tomas Holy, Luke O’Neill, Max Ehmer, Gabriel Zakuani, Jake Hessenthaler, Tom Eaves, Conor Ogilvie, Josh Parker, Ben Nugent (sub Scott Wagstaff 71), Callum Reilly (sub Lee Martin 71), Mark Byrne
Subs not used: Bradley Garmston, Conor Wilkinson, Elliott List, Tom Hadler, Franck Moussa
Referee: Charles Breakspear
Booked:
Cobblers: Daniel Powell (20, 1st of the season), Matt Grimes (31, 9th), Jordan Turnbull (64, 2nd), Hildeberto Pereira (90, 2nd)
Gillingham: Callum Reilly (11), Conor Ogilvie (63), Luke O'Neill (79)
10 cautions on or before 37 games; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: Hildeberto Pereira (90, 2nd booking)
Gillingham: none
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
Tuesday night football returned to Sixfields for the first time in over three months with in-form Gillingham the visitors. Sam Foley and Chris Long came into the side with Matt Crooks and Kevin van Veen having both picked up knocks in the win at AFC Wimbledon. Striker Boris Mathis, signed on loan from Everton in January, was included in the matchday 18 for the first time.
Gillingham started brightly and took the lead on 6 minutes, one-time Cobblers loanee Josh Parker with a fine strike from just inside the area. Tom Eaves then had a chance to make it 2-0 but failed to find the target from close range when Parker pulled the ball back across the six-yard box.
Eaves was on the scoresheet soon after though, the Gills top goalscorer ghosting in to convert Luke O’Neill’s cross-shot at the back post.
Daniel Powell fired wide in the first opening of the night for the Cobblers while Gillingham continued to threaten, Parker having a shot blocked by Jordan Turnbull before the Gills had a goal chalked off for off-side. A terrific block from Max Ehmer then denied Powell as the Cobblers tried to pull a goal back before half-time.
Ash Taylor halved the Cobblers deficit ten minutes into the second half, the centre-back getting on the end of a Matt Grimes free-kick to flick the ball past Tomas Holy.
The goal lifted the Cobblers and it took a good save from Holy to prevent substitute Gboly Ariyibi levelling the scores, Chris Long then with a difficult chance to score on the follow-up.
Joe Bunney dragged a shot wide and Hildeberto Pereira couldn’t keep his shot down as the Cobblers continued to press for an equaliser while Lee Martin also failed to find the target in a rare foray forward from the visitors in the second half.
Boris Mathis came on to make his debut as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made his third and final change, the Cobblers still pressing hard for an equaliser but with time ticking away Gillingham held out to claim the three points.
Hildeberto Pereira was shown a second yellow card shortly after the final whistle.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 8
CORNERS: (0) 2
FOULS: (6) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
GILLINGHAM MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 6
CORNERS: (2) 10
FOULS: (6) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3