Hess hails match-winner McDonald

Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler saluted "on-fire" Cody McDonald and looked ahead to a month which he admitted could define the club`s promotion challenge. Hessenthaler promised to give his players Monday off as reward for their seventh win in eight games, which came courtesy of McDonald's seventh goal in his last six games. The on-loan Norwich striker, who scored three at Stockport last weekend, volleyed home the only goal of the encounter just after the half-hour mark to see off Northampton and propel Gills up to seventh in League Two. Hessenthaler said: "McDonald could have scored another hat-trick here in the kind of form he has been in. The keeper has made a lot of good saves but he (McDonald) looks like he is going to score in every game at the moment. He is just on fire." He added: "I thought our back five were phenomenal. We will be giving the players Monday off. For what they are putting in they deserve a bit of time off because they know what is coming up. "With the games we have got coming up we could be in the top three in a few weeks' time. You can call them six-pointers if you like, what's coming up. This next month can really define our season. It is in our hands to achieve what we want."

Source: PA