Paul Lambert says he won't consider “previous form” when he assesses Matt Gill's claims for a place in his first team plans.Gill made his comeback with the reserves last Wednesday after missing 12 league and cup games because of a knee injury picked up at Brentford back in August.

Paul Lambert says he won't consider “previous form” when he assesses Matt Gill's claims for a place in his first team plans.

Gill made his comeback with the reserves last Wednesday after missing 12 league and cup games because of a knee injury picked up at Brentford back in August.

Lambert was watching from the stands at Griffin Park having been named City's new manager earlier in the day - the only other time he'd seen Gill in action was on the opening day when his Colchester side inflicted that infamous 7-1 defeat on the Canaries.

But Lambert says times have changed.

“I have rarely seen him playing and hopefully he has no reaction to it,” he said. “He seems to be okay. He's been out a long time so he needs games under his belt really.

“Matt played against Colchester and I saw him against Brentford, but it's a different club at the minute so I won't judge him on anything like that.

“I've watched him day by day and he's trained fine and I'll watch him again in the coming games.”

Gill is likely to feature for the second string at Northampton next Wednesday as he continues his comeback, but a clutch of other players from the 7-0 midweek rout of Stevenage Borough will be hoping their performances will count for something when Lambert picks his squad for Monday's trip to Leeds.

Cody McDonald grabbed a hat-trick, while fellow striker Jamie Cureton and young wide player Josh Dawkin scored two apiece.

“I thought the two of them played well together, Cody and Jamie, even though Stevenage - no disrespect to them - weren't great,” said Lambert.

“But you still have to win and the lads, their attitude and the way they did it, was very pleasing.”

Dawkin has been outstanding in recent reserve games and made his first team debut in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy win at Gillingham earlier this month.

“He's just another young lad, who came on at Gillingham - he has done fine with the reserves and it's another part of his development to see if he can do it,” said Lambert.

“For being really young he has done okay.”