Jay strikes at death to boost the Gills
IT IS high time that Gillingham showed their nasty streak – that’s according to boss Justin Edinburgh after his side snatched a comeback victory over Northampton.
John-Joe O’Toole headed the Cobblers into a first-half lead before Max Ehmer equalised with his fourth goal of the season and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas curled home an injury-time winner.
And securing a first league win in eight games was certainly a weight off the shoulders of manager Edinburgh.
“I am obviously very relieved and I am so pleased for the players, the staff and everyone at the football club,” he explained.
“But we have got to be a little more horrible, a little more nasty when we play.
“Jay’s performances of late have been good and I am pleased for him. It was a sublime finish that was worthy of the three points
“To leave here on the back of a win ahead of a number of away games is massive and it gives us a boost.
“We have been looking for a result, a foundation, something we can build off.”
The home team started well but it was the visitors who scored in the 36th minute as O’Toole squeezed a header through two defenders after being left unmarked in the six-yard box. The Gills then hit back early in the second half as Ehmer slid in at the back post to convert a flick from EmmanuelThomas.
Both sides had chances to take the lead as O’Toole headed just wide from a corner and Emmanuel-Thomas slipped when well-placed, but the game appeared to be petering out into a draw.
However, EmmanuelThomas – Gillingham’s top scorer this term – curled a left-foot shot past Adam Smith in the 92nd minute.
Northampton drop out of the play-off places with this loss and boss Rob Page claims his side cannot afford to lose games like that if they want to play Championship football next term. “It’s a hard one to take at the minute,” he said. “We created enough chances to win the game.
“If we want to have a go (at getting promoted) this season, that’s got to be a win.
“I think if we go into half-time at 2-0 ahead it’s a different game. But they get an early goal in the second half and we’re off to a bad start by conceding from a set-piece.
“We need to be more ruthless with our chances and at the other end I’m disappointed with the goals we’ve conceded.”