On this day in 1988, Northampton Town produced a dramatic late turnaround to snatch a 2-1 victory over Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium. In front of a crowd of 4,131, the Cobblers showed resilience and quality to come from behind and secure three points.
The match started as a cagey affair, with both sides struggling to carve out clear chances in a goalless first half. Gillingham, sitting 12th in Division Three, saw more of the ball, but the Cobblers’ backline held firm, with goalkeeper Gleasure making key stops to keep the hosts at bay.
The breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute, and it was Gillingham who struck first. A Smith free-kick took a wicked deflection off Wilcox’s head, looping perfectly into the path of Lovell, who made no mistake from close range. The home side looked to be in control, but the Cobblers had other ideas.
With just 11 minutes remaining, Northampton found their equalizer. Singleton’s powerful effort was beaten away by Gillingham keeper Hillyard, but the ball fell kindly for Culpin, who reacted quickest to fire home and bring the Cobblers level. The momentum had shifted, and just four minutes later, Northampton struck again. Donald played a superb lobbed pass over the Gillingham defense, setting up Adcock, who calmly slotted past Hillyard to complete the turnaround.
As the final whistle blew, Northampton celebrated a vital away victory, keeping their promotion hopes alive as they remained fifth in the table. Former Cobbler Gernon lined up for Gillingham, but it was his old side who left Priestfield with all three points. The match saw seven corners each, with Gillingham registering five shots on target to Northampton’s three. Referee D. Hedges issued bookings to Shipley and Walker of Gillingham, while Carr was cautioned for the Cobblers.
Final Score:
âš˝ Gillingham 1-2 Northampton Town
Scorers:
- Gillingham: Lovell (66’)
- Northampton: Culpin (79’), Adcock (83’)