Gillingham

Gillingham’s fight for survival has come down to a final day showdown against former boss Justin Edinburgh.

The Gills need a win to guarantee they will be playing League 1 football next season and Northampton – managed by Edinburgh – stand in their way on Sunday.

Victory for relegation rivals Port Vale on Tuesday night means that the Gills are now just one point clear of the drop zone.

Gills head coach Ady Pennock, who saw Vale’s win at Walsall on Tuesday, said: “I have been in football long enough to know that anything can happen but we have to worry about ourselves.”

Edinburgh was fired by the Gills in January with the club sitting 17th in League 1 and eight points clear of the drop zone but since then they have gradually been sucked into the battle at the bottom. The fact that Edinburgh could now send the Gills down adds an extra dimension to the weekend.

“It has got that twist, which unbelievable,” said Pennock.

“But we are just going to worry about ourselves. We have played well in our last two games but conceded too many goals.

“Performance-wise, we have been all right, we have looked like scoring but we’ve conceded six and that’s our problem.”

Gillingham’s task is simple. Beat Edinburgh’s mid-table Northampton on Sunday and they are safe. Anything else and things get complicated.

If the Gills somehow lose by six goals or more, then a draw would be enough to keep Vale up. Port Vale are away to promotion-chasing Fleetwood and the odds remain stacked against them getting anything from the game.

Gillingham would already Maidstone United Youth under-12s celebrated a perfect season at the Gallagher Stadium on Tuesday night. Champions of Express Cabs Maidstone Boys Primary League Division 1, the boys paraded their trophy during half-time at the Maidstone v Lincoln match. They won all 16 of their league games this season, a feat made even more impressive by the fact they’re an under-11 side competing in a higher age bracket. Squad: Liam Parle, Luke Parle, Fran Saunders, Tyler Hatton, William Fitzpatrick, Tobey Smith, Sol Streatfield, Georgie Tolley, George Moore, William Maloney, Ladi Durowoju, Oliver Bonner, Jack Scott. Manager: Christian Tolley. is be