Gills caretaker manager Steve Lovell had no problem with his team’s performance against Northampton.

But he was left to taste defeat for the first time in his current position as interim boss, losing 2-1 after the visitors buried a couple of stunners.

Report: Gillingham 1 Northampton Town 2

He said: “I’m very disappointed with the result and the performance didn’t deserve that, especially in the first half.

“We played very well, created a number of opportunities and their keeper made two or three saves to keep them in the game.

“Even in that wind, we played some good flowing football, but goals kill you.

“Their first goal was a great strike, it’s hit the post and gone in, then the second one the same, two bits of quality and I think that’s the only two shots on target of any note in the game. They win the game.”

The result put a dampener on a positive stint in charge for Lovell but he’s not too downbeat after the loss.

He said: “I am chuffed with the boys. They couldn’t do any more than put the ball in the net.

“If we had won the game 2-1 everyone would be saying it was a magnificent performance.

“It was a very good performance in very difficult conditions but we didn’t get the win.

“We could have lost 2-0, not had a shot at goal, got hammered, then it’s a different story, but we haven’t.

“We must have dominated possession, shots on target and the only thing at the end of it, which was the most important thing is that final score, and they got one more than us.”