A disappointingly sloppy performance from the Gills saw them slip to a seventh defeat of the season at a chilly Beechings Cross on Saturday.

 

Mark Patterson's side, who lie second from bottom in the Puma Youth Alliance table, were totally outplayed by third-placed Northampton whose own unbeaten run extends back to mid-November.

 

The visitors had already squandered a chance with just 30 seconds on the clock, Mark Withers scuffing a shot wide, but the Gills didn't heed the warning and Town took a 2nd minute lead. Alex Konstantinou shrugged off Ollie Bartrum as he broke through the middle to slot the ball wide of Conor Quinn.

 

The Gills best chance came in the 14th minute when a deep cross from the right eventually fell to Alex Brown at the far post but he was denied by Mihai Gherasim's close range block.

 

Withers, a stocky striker, saw Quinn pull off a great save, turning his curling effort round the post at full stretch, before heading another good chance wide from inside the six-yard box.

 

The Gills had a let-off early in the second half when a long range free-kick from Liam Ruddick hit a post after deflecting off George Humber but the visitors continued to create.

 

Konstantinou had a shot parried by Quinn and the busy keeper then denied Michael Jacobs and Malachi Farquharson.

 

Patterson's reshuffle at the introduction of James Brown did little to stop the Cobblers dominance and the only surprise was that it wasn't until the 75th minute that they added a second goal. A corner from the left was headed back across the face of goal where Farquharson was on hand to knee the ball home from close range.

 

The only Gillingham chances were a couple of Humber efforts that hardly warmed the hands of the under-worked Gherasim.

 

Gillingham: Conor Quinn, Ryan Benniman, Jack Evans (Bradley Dack), Tom Brunt (James Brown), Ollie Bartrum, Callum Davies, Nathan Nyafli, Dean Rance, Callum Day (Josh Hare), George Humber, Alex Brown.