Gillingham 4 Northampton Town 3
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Northampton goalkeeper Sam Walker is
powerless to stop Jo Kuffour scoring on his way to a
hat-trick
Picture: Barry Goodwin
by Matthew Panting
Jo Kuffour scored a first-half hat-trick for Gillingham but it
needed Danny Kedwell’s injury time spot-kick to sink Northampton on
Saturday.
The Gills led 2-0 and 3-1 but Northampton levelled the scores in
the second half before Kedwell won the League 2 points.
Northampton went close through the returning Adebayo Akinfenwa
after just two minutes while Saido Berahino hit the post once Ross
Flitney fumbled Michael Jacobs’ shot.
In an open start to the game, the Gills took the lead on 11
minutes when Matt Lawrence, playing at right-back, delivered a
deflected right-wing cross and Kuffour had the freedom of the
six-yard box to turn the ball home from close range.
Jacobs had another effort beaten away before Danny Kedwell and
Danny Jackman both had efforts whistle past the post at the other
end as neither team seemed intent on keeping chances at a
minimum.
Gills doubled their lead when a neat move saw Kedwell set up
Nouble, whose deep cross was headed down by Chris Whelpdale for
Kuffour. With his back to goal, the livewire striker looked around,
saw no support, and nonchalantly backheeled the ball home from six
yards.
Northampton took just four minutes to respond, however, as
Akinfenwa chested the ball down for strike partner Berahino, who
went past Andy Frampton in a flash and slotted home.
Gills then lost Garry Richards, who had appeared their most
accomplished defender in the first half, to a hamstring injury with
Matt Fish - dropped after his error at Morecambe last week - coming
off the bench six minutes before the break.
The game’s main talking point came on the stroke of half-time.
Another neat Kedwell flick set-up Kuffour, who went down under
Kelvin Langmead's challenge. Referee Carl Berry waved away
Gillingham’s appeals for a penalty but his assistant, Ian Crouch,
flagged for the spot-kick.
After much discussion, the referee changed his mind and Kuffour
tucked away the spot-kick. However, in all the confusion, the
officials forgot that Langmead should have seen red for the
professional foul.
The first goal after the break was always going to be crucial
and it went to the visitors when a long free-kick went to Langmead
- who should not have even been on the pitch - to score. It was a
double injustice for Gills as Charlie Lee appeared to be fouled
when the ball went towards the penalty area.
They were back on level terms six minutes later when a free-kick
was needlessly given away by Joe Martin and Jacobs
set up Berahino, whose run was untracked, to claim his second
of the afternoon.
Northampton had all the play, created all the chances and could
have easily gone ahead in the minutes after they got the score back
to 3-3. But Akinfenwa showed the sort of finishing that yielded him
just 11 goals for the Gills last season, most notably when he shot
high and wide after being sent clean through.
The visitors failed to capitalise and Luke Rooney came off the
bench to give the Gills an extra dimension - with Rooney denied by
the legs of keeper Sam Walker after a brilliant exchange with
Kuffour.
Nouble then burst into the penalty area in stoppage
time after another Kedwell assist and when he went down under
Langmead’s challenge, the referee immediately pointed to the spot.
Kedwell kept his cool and blasted home the spot-kick in front of
The Rainham End to spark wild celebrations.
Gills: Flitney, Lawrence, Richards (Fish
39mins), Frampton, Martin, Whelpdale (Weston 84mins), Jackman, Lee
(Rooney 72mins), Nouble, Kuffour, Kedwell. Not used: S Payne,
Gazzaniga.
Attendance: 4,704.
A lively encounter at Priestfield with goals
galore. Tell us what you made of the result and
the performance by leaving a comment below or join the debate on
Facebook and Twitter.
Friday, November 04 2011
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