Hogg hails 'spirit and character' of players after Cobblers battle to Gills draw
Chris Hogg hailed the ‘character and spirit’ of his players after they battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Gillingham on a grim afternoon at Priestfield.
Cobblers trailed after just seven minutes in Kent, Connor McManus left unmarked to head in at the back post, and then had to weather a tough spell before equalising through Logan Briggs’ fine finish.
The second half was something of a non-event, largely due to the conditions, with neither team able to create many chances, and Town picked up their second point of the campaign.
“It was a tough game and a tough match,” said Hogg. “We made a really slow start, which is something I didn’t anticipate with how we had trained during the week and how the group had been, but we showed a really positive response.
“We made the early substitution and the conditions were difficult. The wind seemed to change direction every few seconds and Gillingham obviously make it difficult for you.
“But this group has some character and spirit. People have sometimes questioned that about the club but this club has spirit and character and we need people to stay with the lads, like the fans did today.
“Keep pushing them and keep pushing each other and we’ll continue to build that character and spirit.”
Hogg was relieved to see his side net their first goal of the season, adding: “I’d take a few more of them! We need to hit the target more often but it’s great for Logan and I see that from him in training all the time.
“I want him to have that belief to back himself because it was a great finish.”