A chance to shine against The Cobblers

The Gills search for a polished display and a first goal of the campaign

David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack.

Northampton Town are the visitors to Priestfield on Saturday. Gillingham and their visitors share the dubious distinction of being the only League Two sides yet to score a goal this season. Consequently, both sides are still searching for their first win.

Northampton played out a goalless draw with Swindon Town at Sixfields in their League opener and last weekend were beaten 1-0 by a Josh March goal at Crewe Alexandra despite two good late efforts from substitute and former-Gill, Elliot List.

The Cobblers were also beaten 1-0 at Leicester City in the first round of the League Cup as well as 3-0 at home by Brighton and Hove Albion Under 21s in the EFL Trophy. A total of five goals conceded in four games compared to Gillingham’s six in three.

Gills did however demonstrate improved defensive solidity in their goalless draw at Fleetwood Town last weekend, having been undone by that late capitulation in their League Two opener against Walsall.

The opposition

Northampton endured a turbulent 2025/26 campaign, culminating in relegation from League One. The Cobblers struggled for consistency and ended their third consecutive League One campaign bottom of the table. They collected just 35 points from 46 matches, recording nine wins, eight draws, and 29 defeats. Northampton scored 39 goals while conceding 74, leaving them with a goal difference of -35.

The relegation continued a pattern of volatility that has characterised Northampton Town's recent history. Over the previous decade, The Cobblers have experienced a cycle of promotions and relegations, winning promotion from League Two on three occasions while also suffering relegation from League One three times. This latest demotion to League Two underlines the club's ongoing struggle to establish itself in the third tier.

Despite a promising first half of the season, Northampton's campaign unravelled after Christmas. The Cobblers sat 12th in the League One table on Christmas Day, but a severe decline in form saw them collect just eight points from a possible 48 during the second half of the season, winning only one of their final 16 league matches.

A particularly damaging run from March to May saw Northampton suffer a club-record 11 consecutive League defeats, a sequence that ultimately sealed their fate.

The downturn led to the dismissal of manager Kevin Nolan in March 2026, with Colin Calderwood and Ian Sampsontaking charge on an interim basis for the remainder of the campaign. Relegation was confirmed following a 1–0 home defeat to Barnsley on 28th April 2026.

Despite their league struggles, Northampton enjoyed a memorable run in the EFL Trophy. The Cobblers achieved their best-ever performance in the competition reaching the semi-finals for the first time in the club's history. Their run eventually came to an end with a narrow 2–1 defeat away to Luton Town who went on to lift the trophy at Wembley in April.

Tom Eaves was Northampton's leading scorer during the 2025/26 season, registering eight league goals and ten in all competitions. However, the 34-year-old was released by The Cobblers at the end of the campaign and is currently without a club.

Eaves scored 40 goals in 97 appearances across his two seasons at Priestfield, finishing as the club's leading scorer in both campaigns earning a move to The Championship with Hull City. Given his popularity among the Gills fanbase and his current free-agent status, Eaves' name is likely to have crossed the minds of some supporters when Gareth Ainsworthrecently revealed that he had unsuccessfully tried to bring back a former player that he suggested fans would have loved to see return.

Summer of change

Following their relegation, this summer brought significant change at Sixfields. In May, the club appointed 41-year-old Chris Hogg as first-team manager on a two-year contract. Hogg arrived having previously served as assistant head coach at MK Dons, Oxford United, Bristol City and Norwich City. He is supported by assistant manager Chris Doig, a former Cobblers player, while Technical Director Colin Calderwood remains a key figure behind the scenes.

In the early stages of the new season, Hogg has used a 4-4-2 formation. While the team's structure and discipline have been encouraging, a lack of goals in the opening fixtures suggests the need for greater creativity and attacking cohesion. With several new signings still bedding into the squad, Northampton will hope their attacking output improves as Hogg's tactical approach becomes more established.

Following Hogg's appointment, Northampton embarked on a significant squad rebuild in the wake of their relegation. Much like Gillingham, The Cobblers focused on free transfers, loan signings and the recruitment of younger players with potential resale value.

Among the most notable arrivals were experienced midfielder and Wales international Lee Evans who joined fromBradford City; promising 19-year-old forward Matty Warhurst, signed from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee; and striker Nathan Opoku who arrived from Leicester City, also for an undisclosed fee, following a loan spell at Newport County where he scored six goals last season.

In the way

It is Northampton's defence that has caught the eye in the opening weeks of the season and will be determined to prevent Gillingham from opening their account this weekend, particularly the centre-back partnership of Jon Guthrie and Elliott Moore.

Club captain Guthrie remains the leader of the Cobblers' back line. He signed a contract extension through to 2027 after helping lead the club to promotion to League One in 2023. Having joined Northampton in 2021, Guthrie's experience and leadership have been vital, although an ACL injury in 2025 kept him sidelined for 11 months before he returned during the second half of last season.

Alongside him is the commanding 6ft 5in Moore, who joined the club from Oxford United in January on an 18-month contract. The 28-year-old captained Oxford to promotion and made more than 240 appearances for the Us. A former England Under 18 and Under 20 international, he came through Leicester City's academy alongside Harvey Barnes, Ben Chilwell and Hamza Choudhury.

The full-back positions have also been strengthened this summer. Janoi Donacien, 32, arrived on a free transfer from Chesterfield and has featured at right-back, while Scotland-born left-back James Maxwell, 24, joined from Doncaster Rovers.

First meeting and a sad tale

The first meeting between the clubs took place in the Southern League in September 1901, when Northampton recorded a 3-2 victory. Gillingham's goals came from Jack Frettingham, one of the club's earliest stars and its leading scorer for five consecutive seasons from 1897 onwards. Tragically, Frettingham's life was cut short when he died a few years later, in 1904, aged just 32.

Head-to-head

Of the 149 meetings between the clubs, Gillingham have won 50, Northampton 70, while 29 have ended in draws.

Since the turn of the century, the sides have met 19 times. Northampton have enjoyed the better of those encounters, recording nine victories to Gillingham's six, with four matches ending all square.

The Cobblers have also held the upper hand in recent years, winning four of the last six meetings between the clubs. Gillingham's most recent victory came in a League One fixture at Sixfields in February 2018, when first-half goals from Josh Parker and Tom Eaves secured a 2-1 win.

The Shoe Army celebrated a 2-0 victory on their most recent visit to Priestfield in League Two in November 2022, the weekend after Gills had beaten Premier League Brentford on penalties in the third round of the League Cup.

Verdict

Both sides' early-season form suggests a close, low-scoring contest. Gillingham have created promising chances in their opening two league matches and have struck the woodwork five times. If they can maintain that attacking threat and enjoy a little more good fortune in front of goal, it surely can only be a matter of time before they find the net.

Should The Gills secure victory on Saturday, it is likely to be built on scoring first. An early breakthrough would ease the pressure on both players and supporters alike, whereas falling behind could increase the tension inside Priestfield and place even greater scrutiny on a forward line still searching for its first league goal of the campaign.

Northampton's defensive strength suggests chances for the home side may be at a premium, making a 1-0 result either way, or a low-scoring draw, the most likely outcome.

Prediction: Gillingham 1-0 Northampton Town