Manager Neil Harris admits Gillingham are in a ‘dark place’ but Tuesday night’s shock cup win could be the catalyst for better times ahead.

The Gills - who sit third from bottom in League 2 - knocked Premier League Brentford out of the Carabao Cup and it’s a boost they badly needed. They went into that match with just two wins and six goals scored from their opening 16 league fixtures.

Harris’ side face third-placed Northampton Town at home in the league on Saturday and the manager hopes the midweek cup success will help their cause.

He said: “I am pleased for the group, we needed that, we needed something to spark us.

“Ultimately, the fans have had a tough two and a half years at this football club, we are in a dark place as a football club at the moment. We need help.

“Things are ongoing (with rumours of US-based investment persisting) and hopefully there are brighter horizons in the forefront. We need it.

“It has been a difficult period and I was delighted for them (the fans), nearly 2,500 who went out of hope, they went to see a new stadium (and it was) a friendly rivalry with a team they have played a lot in the previous decades.

“We know where we are as a football club. We are in a difficult spell at the moment, what my players have shown is that they have character in abundance, they have desire to do well.

“Brentford missed some chances but we didn’t get opened up too often, we weren’t a car crash without the ball, that is how we have been, we are not like that, we just haven’t scored enough goals.

“If we score a few more goals, then we will be absolutely fine. We have to use this confidence and momentum individually and collectively and take it into Saturday.”

Gillingham welcomed a couple of players back from injury but defender Elkan Baggott picked up a knock. Harris left it as late as possible to decide on his team for Tuesday.

He said: “Stuart O’Keefe and Jordan Green had fitness tests on Monday and I still didn’t name the team (on Monday) and didn’t work on anything because I didn’t know who would be available.

“We were hopeful of Shaun (Williams) and we didn’t risk him on Saturday at Fylde, more so because of the long journey up there. It could have been dangerous as well as playing.”

Williams, O’Keefe and Green all played and came through unscathed. Defender Max Ehmer will be available again following his Carabao Cup suspension after picking up bookings in the opening two rounds.

“We will have to see how Elkan Baggott is,” Harris said. “He limped through the last few minutes.

“Just having senior players available is pleasing for me and, to be honest, a relief.

"I think only twice I feel I have picked my best starting XI and I picked up four points. It would be nice to do that more regularly and let players who I feel aren’t quite ready for 90 minutes come off the bench and make an impact.”