Northampton Town 1-2 Gillingham

Gillingham continued their excellent run of form with a fifth win in eight games as they beat Northampton at Sixfields.

Josh Parker and Tom Eaves scored in the first half to send Gills back in the top half as Northampton dropped to 20th, just two points above the relegation zone.

Only six minutes had passed when Parker capitalised on poor defending to run at the home defence and hammer a 20-yard shot into the top corner.

It could have been two for the dominant visitors as Eaves somehow cleared the crossbar from four yards, but he atoned for that miss on 18 minutes when poking in Luke O'Neill's drilled cross.

Northampton had been outplayed and they were fortunate not to be further behind after Parker's header was ruled out for offside and Eaves sent another shot just wide.

The home side got back into the game 10 minutes into the second half when Ash Taylor delicately guided Matt Grimes' free-kick into the corner but Tomas Holy denied Gboly Ariyibi in their only other chance and Gillingham held on.

Match report supplied by the Press Association.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Northampton

• 13O'Donnell
• 2Moloney
• 6Taylor
• 37TurnbullBooked at 64mins
• 39Bunney
• 8FoleySubstituted forPereiraat 45'minutesBooked at 90mins
• 29GrimesBooked at 31mins
• 14HoskinsSubstituted forAriyibiat 57'minutes
• 21O'Toole
• 11PowellBooked at 20minsSubstituted forMathisat 83'minutes
• 19Long

Substitutes

• 1Cornell
• 5Barnett
• 9Mathis
• 17McWilliams
• 22Crooks
• 28Pereira
• 45Ariyibi

Gillingham

• 13Holy
• 5Ehmer
• 6Zakuani
• 19NugentSubstituted forMartinat 71'minutes
• 2O'NeillBooked at 79mins
• 8Hessenthaler
• 26ReillyBooked at 11minsSubstituted forWagstaffat 71'minutes
• 33Byrne
• 12OgilvieBooked at 63mins
• 9Eaves
• 14Parker

Substitutes

• 3Garmston
• 7Wagstaff
• 10Wilkinson
• 11Martin
• 21List
• 30Hadler
• 44Moussa

Referee:

Charles Breakspear

Attendance:

5,123

Match Stats

Home TeamNorthamptonAway TeamGillingham

Possession

Home56%

Away44%

Shots

Home13

Away9

Shots on Target

Home5

Away3

Corners

Home2

Away10

Fouls

Home14

Away13

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Northampton Town 1, Gillingham 2.

Dismissal

Posted at 90'+5'

Second yellow card to Hildeberto Pereira (Northampton Town).

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Northampton Town 1, Gillingham 2.

Posted at 90'+4'

Brendon Moloney (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'+4'

Foul by Tom Eaves (Gillingham).

Booking

Posted at 90'+3'

Hildeberto Pereira (Northampton Town) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 90'+3'

Corner, Gillingham. Conceded by Hildeberto Pereira.

Posted at 90'+2'

Gboly Ariyibi (Northampton Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Lee Martin (Gillingham).

Posted at 90'+2'

Brendon Moloney (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Josh Parker (Gillingham).

Posted at 90'

Foul by Hildeberto Pereira (Northampton Town).

Posted at 90'

Lee Martin (Gillingham) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 89'

Corner, Gillingham. Conceded by Brendon Moloney.

Posted at 88'

Foul by Boris Mathis (Northampton Town).

Posted at 88'

Max Ehmer (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 87'

Foul by Gboly Ariyibi (Northampton Town).

Posted at 87'

Scott Wagstaff (Gillingham) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 86'

Attempt missed. Jordan Turnbull (Northampton Town) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.

Posted at 85'

Corner, Northampton Town. Conceded by Jake Hessenthaler.

Posted at 85'

Attempt blocked. Gboly Ariyibi (Northampton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 84'

Attempt missed. Tom Eaves (Gillingham) right footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 84'

Attempt saved. Josh Parker (Gillingham) header from very close range is saved in the bottom right corner.

Substitution

Posted at 83'

Substitution, Northampton Town. Boris Mathis replaces Daniel Powell.

Posted at 82'

Foul by Gboly Ariyibi (Northampton Town).

Posted at 82'

Josh Parker (Gillingham) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 82'

Attempt missed. John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.

Posted at 80'

Attempt saved. John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Booking

Posted at 79'

Luke O'Neill (Gillingham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 79'

Daniel Powell (Northampton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 79'

Foul by Luke O'Neill (Gillingham).

Posted at 78'

Foul by Daniel Powell (Northampton Town).

Posted at 78'

Mark Byrne (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. Hildeberto Pereira (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.

Posted at 76'

Corner, Gillingham. Conceded by Chris Long.

Posted at 75'

Corner, Gillingham. Conceded by Joe Bunney.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Lee Martin (Gillingham) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 73'

Corner, Gillingham. Conceded by Ash Taylor.

Substitution

Posted at 71'

Substitution, Gillingham. Lee Martin replaces Ben Nugent.

Substitution

Posted at 71'

Substitution, Gillingham. Scott Wagstaff replaces Callum Reilly.

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