Northampton

[lidbid46]

Another great win - although a little too exciting towards the end. An amazing start to the season, but am I wrong to be worried about all these sendings off? Does the club get punished if we have too many? I think we can cope with the suspensions with the squad we have, but I wonder whether refs will start looking at us as a dirty team. I haven't seen any real evidence of that at the games I have been to, but I hope this doesn't affect us in the future. Anyway, can't complain at 25 points already!!

[Garawa]

I think we can, I'm sure there may have been some chats with the FA last season. We were supposed to be improving the discipline this time round!

Fantastic win! We now have more points than the record Reading team that got 106 and more wins than the 3 sides with the joint win record in the league at this stage of the season! Seems I have made excuses for inept performances in the past by describing some teams as trying to break up our play - clearly on this evidence we wasn't good enough. We needed that defeat at the weekend to remind us we are not invincible and that it can go wrong - no better time than when 6 points clear. Clearly did the trick it seems!

[mark8364]

The only disappointing thing about tonight was it took me half an hour to get home after the match!

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

A great result at a ground we dont ever seem to do well at,Its great we have bounced back from the defeat.The Radio said it was not a great performance,but good Teams win when they dont play well.Five straight away wins aswell is this really Gillingham?

[Poshgill]

Well that is the (about) 15th time I have been to the dump that is Sixfields and is only the 2nd win I have seen. (The last was in '99 when a Smith shot went under their keeper, Billy Turley.)

The Cobblers had a lot of pressure in the first half without really threatening. They did hit the bar, but that was from a spooned shot and wasn't meant. Great lump up field from Nelson (who inspires confidence) and Burton did well to get on the end of the ball and turn their defender. The Northampton keeper was lucky to stay on the field as he took Charlie Allen clean out al la Schumacher style. Didn't even get a booking from a very peculiar and inconsistent ref.

2nd half we started brightly and Payne's snap shot was taken very well. Allen then bolstered the midfield and tried to kill the game off. A great professional tactic that our other good managers have used in the past. It was an incredible long throw that Akinfenwa (who else) managed to get on the end of that got them back in it. Of course, being an unlucky ground and also years of experience as a Gills fan, I thought the worst. But this is a different team from previous seasons and with the benefit of the final whistle when I could relax, it was only then that I realised that the Cobblers really never looked like getting a 2nd.

A good game and a good performance. Allen was unlucky to get sent off. i didn't think either of his bookings was warranted. This team reminds me of the Pulis team inasmuch as we are hard to beat, but with the great tactical nous of Peter Taylor. Very interesting season ahead.

[Garawa]

It sure has been astonishing. Bizarrely, I would normally be twitching my leg nineteen to the dozen and feel nervous but I didn't feel that last night. It's like this is normal! Hardly, the records show an absolute astounding start to the league not only the best for us but on target to smash all old records too! Of course, we are just starting the way others ended so how long we can keep this up for is impossible to gauge. The Northampton game game was definitely one of those losing games from a while back and the fact we could close down the game shows a different side not seen for an absolute age. Amazing.

[mark8364]

I think its wonderful when our manager tells the media that we haven't reached anywhere near our peak yet! Still lots of improvement to come! My god, how good are we going to be when this happens?

[lidbid46]

I think it would be nice to absolutely stuff someone 4 or 5 nill to really scare everyone else. Normally a team in our position would be winning some games quite easily, so roll on Saturday when I will see a really easy win by several goals! Hard to please, I know!!

[Rimshot]

Posh I was also at the game when Smiffy scored from that 'thundering' drive ! As Geoff Boycott might say' my old mum could have caught that in her pinny'. I was there as a guest of a Northampton Town scout ( football not woggles) and , unfortunately, couldn't restrain myself from an unseemly display of triumphalism amonst a large group of non-too-impressed Cobblers.

[Poshgill]

Apart from the most welcome win that day, I recall shouting out to Billy Turly "silly billy" just as the crowd noise subsided. Everyone heard it and even a Cobblers player started laughing. As they say, the art of good comedy is timing.