The hosts scored two goals in a minute just before the break, with Jason Crowe firing in a right-foot drive and Adebayo Akinfenwa heading home a cross.

Eight minutes after the restart Akinfenwa's edge-of-the-box effort went in off a post to make it 3-0.

Giles Coke rounded off the victory in the 64th minute when his shot from 18 yards was deflected in.

Northampton: Bunn, Little, Hughes, Gyepes, Jackman, Crowe, Burnell, Gilligan (Hayes 66), Holt, Akinfenwa (Coke 61), Hubertz.
Subs Not Used: Dunn, Henderson, Dolman.

Goals: Crowe 44, Akinfenwa 45, 53, Coke 64.

Gillingham: Royce, Fuller, King, Bygrave (Mulligan 54), Nutter, Southall, Thurgood, Crofts, Oli (Richards 54), Jackson, Miller (Lewis 80).
Subs Not Used: Stillie, Griffiths.

Booked: Miller, Nutter, Thurgood.

Att: 4,978

Ref: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire).