Gillingham will look to follow up on Tuesday night’s superb victory at Brentford with three points against Northampton Town at Priestfield on Saturday.

Buoyed by the penalties win against the Premier League opposition and knowing they will head to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup, The Gills are brought back down to earth with a League Two clash this weekend.

The bread and butter of the league is what matters most in the long run, but a great run in the Cup is great for confidence and manager Neil Harris is hoping his side can take the spirit from midweek into this next fixture.

Speaking ahead of the game, Harris said:

“There was a level of performance from players on Tuesday in the cup that they have not hit regularly enough,” admitted the Gillingham manager.

“That is the consistency I expect. I’ve never questioned the work ethic: it’s the concentration and quality. We showed that in abundance. That is now the standard I expect going forward.”

“We need to use the Brentford cup win as a catalyst in the league. The league form has not been to the standard I would expect. After the cup win there will be a buzz around our fanbase, we have to feed off that.”

“We have to be at it against Northampton, they are a very good team. They are an effective and hardworking side who have ability at the top end of the pitch. They are competitive and want to be promoted, they want to be in the top three. We have a big challenge, and we are going to have to be at our best for 90 minutes.”

“We are really looking forward to this game and we have a bounce from Tuesday.”

“There is so much potential at this Club. I see it, it’s huge. There is a great opportunity here but we have to take small steps. It is a challenge every day but you have to embrace and enjoy the challenge.”

“At the moment we just have to improve at the top end of the pitch. Gillingham is a brilliant club, a great location and a great fan base. Behind the scenes and in the academy everything is moving in the right direction.”

“We have a fan base arriving on Saturday with excitement. There will be more expectation now and it is down to the players to respond.”

Ahead of the weekend, Harris has confirmed his side have a number of injury doubts:

“Elkan (Baggott) came off on Tuesday. We’ll see how he is. Haji Mnoga was cup tied. Josh Chambers has gone to Worthing and played two games. I am absolutely delighted he has gone there.”

“Olly (Lee) is very unlikely for Saturday. Ben Reeves is a 50/50 call.”

Defender Max Ehmer is back available having been suspended for the Brentford game and Harris will have some decisions to make as to who features this weekend.

Striker Joe Gbode has joined Hastings United on a short-term loan agreement as Harris looks to get some of his more junior members of the squad, valuable game time.