Gillingham striker Cody McDonald celebrates scoring the winning goal against Northampton at Priestfield Picture: by Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Cody McDonald was the match winner for Gillingham as they took maximum points once again.

McDonald's solitary strike was enough to separate the sides and hand Andy Hessenthaler's men a seventh win from their last eight League 2 matches.

Front-man McDonald side-footed home his 12th of the season with 32 minutes gone after Josh Gowling nodded Danny Spiller's cross into his path.

Victory was enough to take the Gills back up to seventh and into the play-off positions.

Gillingham had the majority of the chances in the opening half but were always living dangerously while the scores remained blank.

Two efforts in two minutes midway through the half for Northampton was as good as it got for them, but neither Nat Wedderburn or Michael Jacobs could keep their shots on target.

A sticky pitch and windy conditions didn't make life easy for either team, but the Gills made the better start.

Curtis Weston broke clean through as early as the third minute but his toe-poked effort was saved by keeper Chris Dunn.

McDonald warmed up for his goal with a rasping drive that went narrowly wide and a low shot that Dunn saved one-handed. He eventually got a deserved goal for the Gills to take the half-time advantage.

It was McDonald who had the opening chance of the second half. Kevin Maher sent him through on goal but the lobbed effort fell onto the roof of the net.

Weddeburn tried his luck for Northampton just after the hour mark but his vicious shot left the stadium.

Chances were at a premium during the second half but substitute Luke Rooney tried his luck from distance and was only denied by Dunn's sprawling save.

Gillingham: Julian, Fuller, Gowling, Lawrence, Nutter, Spiller, Maher, Jackman (Bentley 72mins), Barcham (Rooney 75mins), Weston (Akinfenwa 60mins), McDonald. Subs not used: Cronin, Richards, J Payne, S Payne.

Northampton: Dunn, Beckwith, Tozer, Johnson, Gilligan, Davis, Holt, Osman, Wedderburn (Hall 75mins), Jacobs, Herbert (Kaziboni 61mins). Subs not used: Gherasim, Hinton, Rodgers, Farquharson, Harris.

Attendance: 5,613