Gillingham (0) 2 Ehmer 48, Emmanuel-Thomas 90
Northampton Town (1) 1 O'Toole 36
Attendance: 5,790
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 58/4,033
Match Report
Prior to 16.48 it had been a typical Gillingham performance of late. Good first half-hour without getting a breakthrough; confidence starts to drain; sloppy goal given away and once more chasing the game.
In all fairness to Justin Edinburgh, the second half was a whole lot better. Gillingham got back on level terms and, principally, dictated the second half but it looked as though it was going to be another day of what might have beens.
The afternoon began with a beautifully presented tribute for Remembrance Day beginning with the laying of wreathes by the respective captains followed by The Last Post and ending with a moment's perfectly observed silence.
When the game got underway it was Gillingham that were fastest out of the traps. Three efforts from Billy Knott, three more from Emmanuel-Thomas and a bizarre moment when the visitors right back, Brendan Maloney, headed past his own advancing goalkeeper, but managing to get back and clear from his line, before Northampton won a corner after nearly 20 minutes. This was quickly followed by Stuart Nelson making a good blocking save to thwart Sam Hoskins.
Does confidence evaporate? After such a positive opening, slowly the visitors were allowed back into the game and although it could be said that Northampton's opening goal was against the run of play, you could sense it coming. A corner on the right hand side to the centre of the six yard box was headed back to the near post by Zander Diamond to John-Joe O'Toole who steered his header past Nelson.
Gillingham did respond with a smart corner routine that opened up a shooting chance for Max Ehmer, but his well struck shot was wide of the right hand post.
On the stroke of half-time, Justin Edinburgh's team talk might have had to be very different had a shot from JJ Hooper gone in rather than strike the post.
That Edinburgh team talk had the desired effect three minutes into the second period when Jake Hessenthaler's corner was nodded back across goal by Emmanuel-Thomas for Ehmer to lash the ball home.
As both sides pressed for a winner, the introduction of Bradley Dack as a 64th minute substitute added impetus. But, as the second period drifted on, the crowd quietened and were becoming increasingly frustrated.
As the clock ticked into time-added, Ryan Jackson took a pass from Josh Wright and, from the bye-line, pulled back a cross into the danger area that was just behind Dack. The ball fell at the feet of Paul Anderson, but his scuffed clearance only found Emmanuel-Thomas who, from 20 yards, struck sweetly into the bottom corner.
No matter that, officially, the win-less, clean sheet-less run had been broken midweek in the tin-pot trophy at The Hawthorns, this was the true end to that sorry sequence.
If hope has been restored at Priestfield, let us pray that it can survive Brackley on Wednesday.
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