Northampton break winless run by seeing off Gillingham
Northampton Town ended a four game winless run with a 3-1 victory over Gillingham at home.
The Cobblers had dropped into the relegation zone as injury and suspension issues piled up, but Keith Curle’s side would secure a much-needed win over Gillingham in their last game of 2020.
Goals from Sam Hoskins, Danny Rose and Alan Sheehan would do the job for the Cobblers, who will end 2020 sitting 19th in the League One table. Kyle Dempsey had scored for Gillingham to make it 2-1 at half-time, but it was not enough to stop the home side taking the points.
Curle’s side had been forced to take Boxing Day off after prospective opponents Ipswich Town suffered a coronavirus outbreak in their squad, while Jones’ team featured a start for Lloyd Jones after his return to Northampton was confirmed earlier in the day.
The home team began brightly, with Cian Bolger, Benny Ashley-Seal and Hoskins all coming close in the opening stages of the game.
Gillingham’s best chance saw John Akinde feed Dempsey, who saw a shot blocked by a covering tackle by Sheehan.
Northampton opened the scoring just after the half-hour, when a foul on Rose gave the home side a penalty, and Hoskins beat Gillingham goalkeeper Jack Bonham from the spot.
The home side then made it 2 goals in 4 minutes, as Rose scored a rebound after Ashley-Seal’s initial shot was saved by Bonham.
Gillingham would reduce the deficit to one goal at the break, when Dempsey picked his spot with a free-kick.
But the home side would restore their 2 goal lead within the first 2 minutes of the second half, as Sheehan saw a free-kick from out wide find its way past everyone and into the goal for 3-1.
Northampton could’ve made it 4-1, as Hoskins saw a shot bounce off the post and Rose saw the rebound blocked.
Gillingham had a few attempts to get back in, but Northampton successfully kept them at arms length and saw a much desired 3 points seen out to end 2020 on a happy note.