Gillingham snatched all three points on Saturday in an entertaining game at Priestfield with Jo Kuffour scoring a hat-trick.

Kuffour had put The Gills in front on eleven minutes and doubled the lead with a cheeky back-heel on the half hour mark, but Northampton were back in the game just five minutes later when Saido Berahine fired home.

Gillingham restored their two goal advantage in stoppage time of the first half when Kuffour was hauled down in the box and the on loan Bristol Rovers striker stepped up to slot the ball home.

Northampton were back on terms with Kelvin Langmead and Berahino scoring before the hour mark, but Danny Kedwell was the hero at the end tucking away Gillingham’s second penalty of the afternoon in injury time of the second half.

Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler made three changes to the side that lost at Morecambe with Andy Frampton, Joe Martin and Danny Kedwell coming into the side in place of Matt Fish, Curtis Weston and Luke Rooney.

That saw Matt Lawrence revert to right back, Danny Jackman was part of a three man midfield with Nouble playing from the right behind Kuffour and Kedwell.

The change in personnel and formation did very little to calm the nerves around Priestfield as the Cobblers carved out chance after chance with former Gills striker Adebayo Akinfenwa guilty of spurning some of the better ones.

Indeed Gillingham were thankful to Frampton for blocking one of his shots with Ross Flitney pulling off a fine save to deny the burly front man.

Flitney almost conceded in the 13th minute when he spilled Michael Jacobs’ shot with Berahino seeing his follow up coming back off the woodwork.

Against the run of play the home side took the lead when Lawrence’s cross deflected kindly into the path of Jo Kuffour who made no mistake sweeping the ball home from six yards out.

On the half hour mark it got even better for The Gills when Frank Nouble’s cross was headed into the path of Kuffour by Chris Whelpdale and the diminuitive striker had the presence of mind to back heel the ball into the net past the bemused Sam Walker for 2-0.

The two goal lead lasted just five minutes though as Northampton were rewarded for their efforts when Berahino went through on goal before slotting the ball past Flitney.

Gillingham were then forced into a change with Richards limping off with Fish coming on in his place as Lawrence moved inside alongside Frampton.

As the clock would down for the half, there was still time for controversy when Kuffour was upended in the box by John Johnson only for the referee to initially wave away the penalty appeals and then seemingly change his mind after speaking with his assistant.

In all the chaos that ensued Carl Berry seemed to forget to send off Johnson or even book him, but Kuffour still had the composure to step up and send Walker the wrong way for his first hat-trick in a Gills shirt.

The second half turned out to be just as exciting as the first with Northampton level by the hour mark, Firstly Kelvin Langmead latched onto a cross field ball before slamming it home and minutes later Berahino bagged his second of the afternoon from Jacobs’ free kick.

At 3-3 the game could have gone either way as both sides spurned opportunities to win the game.

Whelpdale and substitiute Luke Rooney were denied by Walker and it seemed as though both sides were going to have to be happy with a point, only to see Nouble felled in the box by Langmead for Gillingham to be awarded their second penalty of the afternoon.

Despite Nouble scoring from the spot last weekend and Kuffour from the Town End earlier in the game, it was down to Danny Kedwell to step up and stroke the ball into the net much to the relief of those down at the Rainham End.

 

FULL TIME: GILLINGHAM 4-3 NORTHAMPTON TOWN

Victory has seen The Gills climb one place to ninth in League Two, two points outside the play-off places and next up for Andy Hessenthaler’s side is a trip to Bournemouth next weekend for the First Round tie in the FA Cup.

Gillingham line up: Flitney, Lawrence, Richards (Fish 38), Frampton, Martin, Lee (Rooney 72), Jackman, Whelpdale (Weston 83), Nouble, Kuffour, Kedwell.

Subs not used: Gazzaniga, S Payne.

Goals: Kuffour (11), (30) & (pen 45+1), Kedwell (pen 90+1).

Booked: Frampton (8), Lee (23).

Northampton line up: Walker, Tozer, Johnson, Westwood, Langmead, Young, Jacobs, Arthur (Robinson 79), Niven (Turnbull 86), Berahino, Akinfenwa.

Subs not used: Hall, McKoy, Savage.

Goals: Berahino (35) & (60), Langmead (54).

Booked: Jacobs (14), Akinfenwa (45), Arthur (45), Langmead (90).

Referee: Mr Carl Berry

Attendance: 4,704