Gillingham reach the Trophy last 32 with a 2–1 win at Northampton after the FA Cup exit

Wednesday 11 November 2026 · By Herbert Fairburn

Gillingham’s midweek brought a much-needed win after a disappointing FA Cup exit. On Tuesday they reached the last 32 of the Jersey Mike’s Trophy by winning 2–1 at Northampton Town, four days after going out of the cup at home to National League Barrow.

Lamin Sillah, on loan from Nottingham Forest, scored on 12 minutes and later set up Cameron Antwi’s 54th-minute winner, Antwi’s first goal for the club, according to Gillingham’s official report. Elliott List had equalised on 47 minutes. The details are also confirmed by KentOnline and the Northampton Chronicle.

No fresh verbatim Trophy quote from Gareth Ainsworth was opened this week. After the Barrow defeat he had told KentOnline: “We should have put the game to bed in the first half. We had enough chances to win a couple of games in the first half… we have got to be more clinical.”

He also said: “I’m gutted we’ve not produced at home again. I think there’s a bit of pressure maybe felt there.”

The win at Northampton came at a cost. Andy Smith started after a weekend knock but went off injured after 21 minutes, and Robbie McKenzie also went off injured before half-time, according to KentOnline and the club. No return dates were given. Zane Albarus started, his first appearance since the defeat at York City, and Will Goodwin and Antwi were back in the squad. Conor McManus, Bradley Dack and Tom Eaves had been late doubts for the cup tie, and no updates on them were published this week.

There have been no League Two games since Tuesday 3 November, so the table is unchanged. Gillingham are eighth on 20 points from 14 games, level with seventh-placed York and outside the play-off places on goal difference only, plus one against York’s plus three. Their last six league games read drawn, won, lost, drawn, lost, won, and the most recent of those was a 2–1 win over Shrewsbury Town.

The Barrow defeat still stings, because Innes Cameron’s stoppage-time goal ended Gillingham’s cup run, but the Trophy result keeps them in a midweek competition into the last 32.

League business comes first now. BBC Sport lists Gillingham at Colchester United on Saturday 14 November at 3pm. Colchester are 23rd and in the relegation zone, and they also reached the FA Cup second round. After that, Gillingham are listed at home to Crewe Alexandra on Saturday 21 November, with a 12:30pm kick-off.

The injury list is the concern. Losing Smith and McKenzie in the first half at Northampton leaves Ainsworth short of options, especially if the weekend doubts have not cleared. A result at Colchester would keep Gillingham right on the edge of the top seven, and it would ease some of the pressure he spoke about after Barrow.

The margins remain tiny. Five clubs on 19 points are only a point behind York, so a slip would drop Gillingham further from the play-off line. That is why Saturday matters more than the Trophy win.

Priestfield Stadium

Priestfield Stadium has been Gillingham’s home since 1893. For visiting supporters it is a compact, residential ground rather than a modern bowl: four distinct stands, a tight walk from Gillingham station, and an away allocation that is usually in the uncovered Brian Moore Stand behind the western goal. Capacity is around 11,500. Postcode ME7 4DD. The pitch runs roughly east–west, so you will be looking along the length of the field from either end.

Away fans are normally housed in the Brian Moore Stand, a temporary seated structure on the old Town End. It is all-seater and decent for sightlines, but it has no roof. Bring a coat. In winter it can be miserable; the club has been known to hand out rain macs when it pours. Allocation is typically about 1,500, often on the Medway Stand side of that end. For some fixtures a small covered block of around 200 seats is offered in the Gordon Road Stand instead. Check your ticket: Gordon Road entry is covered and warmer, but pillars can spoil the view if you sit high and towards the back.

Turnstiles for the Brian Moore Stand and Gordon Road are on Gordon Road. Home fans in the Medway Stand and Rainham End use Redfern Avenue. Visiting supporters have also been directed via Priestfield Road depending on the fixture, so follow stewarding and the club’s travel notes on the day. Turnstiles usually open about two hours before kick-off on a Saturday and later for midweek evenings. Gillingham station is the nearest rail stop: leave the station, pick up Priestfield Road, and the ground is a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk.

Opposite you, behind the eastern goal, is the Rainham End. That is the noisy home end: a single-tier covered stand of about 2,400, rebuilt in 1999. Along the north touchline sits the Medway Stand, opened in 2000, two tiers with a row of boxes between them. Changing rooms, offices, tunnel and dugouts are on that side. Facing it on the south side is the Gordon Road Stand from 1997: lower because of planning limits on nearby houses, narrower towards one end, with a television gantry on the roof and several supporting pillars. Avoid the back rows there if you want a clean view of both goals.

Views from the Brian Moore Stand are honest rather than spectacular. You see three modern stands and the full width of the pitch, with the home support concentrated to your right in the Rainham End if you are facing the field from the west. Atmosphere in the away end can feel thin because the stand is open and slightly detached; singing travels better when the allocation is packed towards the Medway corner. Do not expect a roof to bounce the noise back.

Food and drink inside are standard lower-league fare: pies, burgers, tea and beer at kiosks. Cash and card are usually both accepted. A printed programme is often sold outside. Flags are generally allowed if they do not block gangways; place them where stewards ask. There is limited mixing immediately around the away turnstiles. In town, the Will Adams has a reputation as a pub where home and away fans can drink without much fuss, but treat that as a starting point rather than a guarantee on a high-profile night.

Parking around the ground is residential and fills quickly. If you drive, allow extra time and be ready to walk the last stretch. Disabled visiting supporters should contact the club in advance; facilities for away fans sit near match control rather than in every stand. Wheelchair provision is limited in parts of Gordon Road and some Medway blocks.

Priestfield is not a destination stadium in the modern sense. It is a rebuilt 1990s ground still waiting for a permanent west stand, tucked into streets in Medway. Arrive early, dress for an open end, know whether your ticket is Brian Moore or Gordon Road, and you will have a straightforward away day watching Gillingham from behind the correct goal.