A free kick from Daniel Jones was enough to give The Cobblers a single goal win at Gillingham as we put a bit of breathing space between ourselves and the bottom four. Jones’ strike came in just the third minute and we held on to a priceless three points at The Priestfield Stadium.
New signing Adebayo Akinfenwa started on the bench for Stuart Gray’s men whilst Mark Little started at right back again. Liam Dolman sat out after suffering a dead leg in the 1-1 draw with Hartlepool last weekend and Mark Hughes was recalled. Ryan Gilligan came in for the departing Andy Kirk and Joe Burnell returned to midfield in place of Leicester loan man Jonathon Hayes.
The Cobblers were in front with their first real effort on goal as a handball led to a good position for a shot on goal and Daniel Jones duly obliged by curling the ball home past a motionless Simon Royce in the Gillingham goal.
Gary Mulligan tested Mark Bunn for the first time with a shot on the turn before Jason Crowe hit the home sides’ crossbar with a header from Danny Jackman’s cross. Back at the other end, Delroy Facey headed wide.
Gillingham then hit the crossbar as Adam Miller beat Bunn but not the woodwork with a chipped effort and the ball bounced away to safety. In the last real shot of the half, Danny Jackman latched onto a knock down fro Ryan Gilligan but fired over.
At the start of the second half, Gilligan could have made it 2-0 but after moving onto a pass from Dean Bowditch and turning his defender shot just wide of the far post. Dean Bowditch headed wide from a Jones cross on the hour before Bunn had to save well from Mark Bentley shortly afterwards.
Giles Coke left the pitch to be replaced by Colin Larkin while Ian Henderson replaced Dean Bowditch in the Cobblers attack late on. Larkin and Gilligan both had chances to double our lead but after a late flurry of attacks from the home side without success and after five minutes of stoppage time, we had sealed an important three points.
With two home games in the next ten days, it’s a vital period of the season and this could yet prove to be a pivotal weekend as teams around us slipped up and helped lift us to 14th in League One.
New signing Adebayo Akinfenwa started on the bench for Stuart Gray’s men whilst Mark Little started at right back again. Liam Dolman sat out after suffering a dead leg in the 1-1 draw with Hartlepool last weekend and Mark Hughes was recalled. Ryan Gilligan came in for the departing Andy Kirk and Joe Burnell returned to midfield in place of Leicester loan man Jonathon Hayes.
The Cobblers were in front with their first real effort on goal as a handball led to a good position for a shot on goal and Daniel Jones duly obliged by curling the ball home past a motionless Simon Royce in the Gillingham goal.
Gary Mulligan tested Mark Bunn for the first time with a shot on the turn before Jason Crowe hit the home sides’ crossbar with a header from Danny Jackman’s cross. Back at the other end, Delroy Facey headed wide.
Gillingham then hit the crossbar as Adam Miller beat Bunn but not the woodwork with a chipped effort and the ball bounced away to safety. In the last real shot of the half, Danny Jackman latched onto a knock down fro Ryan Gilligan but fired over.
At the start of the second half, Gilligan could have made it 2-0 but after moving onto a pass from Dean Bowditch and turning his defender shot just wide of the far post. Dean Bowditch headed wide from a Jones cross on the hour before Bunn had to save well from Mark Bentley shortly afterwards.
Giles Coke left the pitch to be replaced by Colin Larkin while Ian Henderson replaced Dean Bowditch in the Cobblers attack late on. Larkin and Gilligan both had chances to double our lead but after a late flurry of attacks from the home side without success and after five minutes of stoppage time, we had sealed an important three points.
With two home games in the next ten days, it’s a vital period of the season and this could yet prove to be a pivotal weekend as teams around us slipped up and helped lift us to 14th in League One.
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