MARTIN ALLEN: CRISIS, I DON’T BUY INTO THAT ONE
Talking to BBC Radio Kent at the post-match media conference Martin Allen acknowledged how the adverse weather conditions played their part. “It was extremely difficult with the wind swirling and I didn’t know if the wind was going up or down or across the pitch.”
“The ball was moving all over the place which made it difficult for both teams. I thought both teams played really well but we got the breaks and came out with three points so happy days.”
Asked how important the early Cody Mcdonald goal was from a mistake by the Cobblers keeper, Allen said, “Bit of luck but it’s something we’ve worked on. Not the back-pass of course but the threat of our centre-forward getting in behind their defenders.”
WEDNESDAY 30 January 2013
MARTIN ALLEN REACTION - GILLS 2 v Northampton Town 0
“We highlighted those passes in behind and it was a great ball by Fish and very well tucked away by Cody who is here to get in behind them and we practice this in training. It’s no joke as we actually get him in training to get behind the centre-backs and God bless him it worked superbly well.”
Commenting on the classy strike from Myles Weston (right) straight from a Stuart Nelson goal-kick, Allen said, “It was a master tactical change. He was playing on the left-wing and then went upfront as Cody was getting tired after doing an extreme amount of running as our single centre-forward tonight.”
He continued, “We put Myles up there to be a threat in behind them. It was very difficult out there to pass the ball and keep your feet. We’ve all seen Myles do that now time and time again through the season and win us games. He’s doing a great job playing in front of Joe Martin and helping Joe defensively. But we decided to make that change by putting him upfront and what a brilliant finish it was.”
“You saw the celebrations in the dugout and of course the relief from all our supporters who have turned out tonight in terrible, terrible conditions. I think we all deserve the credit and enjoy a great night for our Club to go top of the League.”
Allen played down any talk of there being a crisis at Priestfield following Gills first home win since mid-November when saying, “I don’t think you’ll ever hear me using those words of crisis. Crisis is when you’re in hospital and got problems but this is a game of football.”
“I know how important it is in people’s lives that support football and Gillingham Football Club. We’ve just had two fantastic wins at Southend United and Bristol Rovers who are in tip-top form in the division, so when people talk about crisis I don’t buy into that one”
Meanwhile disappointed Cobblers boss Aidy Boothroyd thought his side deserved something from game and was a bit closer than the 2-0 result suggests. Talking to the Northampton Herald & Post he said, “I thought we had the better chances, particularly in the first half, but there were times that the ball went to ground and we should have scored.”
“I don’t want it to sound like sour grapes because Gillingham are at the top of the League for a reason, which is that they generally get results. What I’ve always believed about our team is that performances overall will get you success. If we perform like we did in the first half, and for a lot of the game, we aren’t going to be too far away.”
He continued, “Of course we want to be at the top of the League and of course we want to be pushing for promotion, but we have got to take stock. All we can do is, without being cliché man, take each game as it comes.”
“We came down here thinking we could win, not to battle for a point. We didn’t and got done when one of our players made a mistake, and then made a mistake for the second goal. In the end it was down to errors as opposed to them being better than us and Gillingham took the points. All I will say is that we will be back.”