Edmondson credits Brady with Town's 'never-say-die' mentality after Gills fightback

With only 11 minutes of Saturday's game at Gillingham remaining, Cobblers League One status was dangling by the thinnest of threads.

Trailing by two goals and seemingly beaten down in Kent, all it would have taken to send Town back to League Two was a goal each for AFC Wimbledon and Wigan Athletic, both of whom were drawing at the time.

But only days earlier manager, Jon Brady had promised that he and his players would not go down without a fight and they showed their battling spirit in abundance during those final 11 minutes at Priestfield

Buoyed by four substitutes, they came roaring back through Ryan Edmondson's sweeping finish and Fraser Horsfall's header in a terrific demonstration of the type of 'never-say-die' attitude drilled into them by the manager.

“The gaffer instills a never-say-day mentality in us where you never leave anything out there and the boys have done that today,” said Edmondson.

“We were 2-0 down and a few heads might have dropped but we picked ourselves up and really came together as a team.”

The substitutions were key to Town’s comeback.

Mark Marshall was a livewire on the right, Caleb Chukwuemeka played a hand in both goals and Edmondson ended his seven-game barren run with a first-time finish.

And with both teams needing victory for their respective causes, the final seven minutes were action-packed and frenetic as chances came and went at both ends.

Despite all the chaos, the game somehow finished all square, a result that did not particularly suit either team, though Cobblers would have taken it after 78 minutes.

“It was a very positive reaction from the boys and the subs made a difference – the gaffer just said to go on and bring some energy and I think we needed that,” Edmondson added.

“We just tried to run them as much as we could and we flooded their half in the second-half and put as many balls into their box and looked to upset them.

“After the first goal went in, we rallied and rallied and both teams had plenty of chances - it could have finished anything!

“The goalkeeper made an unbelievable save from me at 1-0 and then their defender makes an incredible goal-line clearance, but to come from 2-0 down and get a draw, we’ve got to take the positives.”

Edmondson was in the right place to stick away Chukwuemeka’s knockdown, and unlike his first Cobblers goal, there was no debate about this one.

He added: “I think that one is definitely mine! We’re sometimes a bit cheeky as strikers and we try to claim as much as we can but I’ll be putting that one down on my tally and hopefully I can get another one next time out.

“Me and Caleb work quite well together and he took that touch in the box and at first I wasn’t sure if he was going to hit it or I was going to hit it.

“But I threw something at the ball and that’s what you’ve got to do as a striker sometimes. Caleb’s an amazing talent and he creates things for us, as you saw when he came on.

“It was great for him to assist me and to grab a goal to get one back.”

Now Cobblers host Blackpool this weekend knowing anything other than victory would likely relegate them. Even three points might not be enough.

“We’ve won five of the last seven at home and we’re very comfortable at home at the moment,” Edmondson continued.

“It’s been very positive and everyone in that changing room believes we can grab a result and take it down to the final day and do whatever we can.”