Russell joins Cobblers as Aiston departs...

There was movement by Stuart Gray in the transfer window this afternoon as Sam Aiston left Sixfields to join Burton Albion on loan while Bristol City midfielder Alex Russell joins the club also on a loan deal.

Aiston, 30, has seen his first team opportunities limited this season and joins the Blue Square Premier League club on a two-month deal.

Meanwhile coming into the club is Alex Russell. The 34-year-old midfielder joins the Cobblers on a months’ loan. Stuart Gray told the official website, “Alex has quality and will bring some experience to the squad. He has been there and done it at this level, and he will be a big help to the young players we have here.”

Russell began his career at Burscough but found his feet in the league with Rochdale. Spending four years at Spotland, Russell made over 100 appearances for the club before moving to Cambridge United in 1998 on a free transfer. Scoring 8 times in 72 starts for The U’s, he then signed for Torquay United in his most successful spell in the game. Russell went on to make over 150 appearances for the club, scoring 23 times. He joined Bristol City in 2005 and helped them to promotion to the Championship last season.

So with just a few hours left of the transfer window, it’s one in and one out so far. Not many Town fans will be disappointed with the departure of Aiston while Russell’s addition to the squad adds vital experience to the young squad.

Leyton Orient (A) Preview...

We travel to the capital tomorrow looking to make it three wins in three visits to Brisbane Road. The Cobblers have picked up crucial wins in East London in the past couple of seasons and three points tomorrow would be just as important in getting the season up and running.

Stuart Gray rested Andy Kirk for the midweek trip to Middlesbrough so the Northern Ireland man should return to the starting line-up. It’ll be interesting to see how Alex Dyer progresses after an apparently good show up in Teeside. The 17-year-old will be hopeful of a more regular call to the first team squad after impressing Gray in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Giles Coke is the only other major injury for the side going into tomorrow’s game.

Top of the table Orient are without the suspended Sean Thornton after the midfielder was sent off in the O’s Carling Cup defeat at Cardiff on Tuesday night. Defender Sam Oji could be handed his first start for the club after joining from Birmingham City.


THE STORY SO FAR...ORIENT IN 2007/08...

The O’s are flying high after a perfect start to their League One campaign sees them top the table after three games.

Adam Boyd scored the decisive goal on the opening day of the season to give Orient a 2-1 win at relegated Southend United with just four minutes to spare. They followed this up with another 2-1 away success, at QPR in the Carling Cup First Round, Boyd again on the score sheet.

Back in the league and two more positive results saw them top the table at this early stage. A 1-0 home win over Walsall saw striker Wayne Gray score on his home debut before John Melligan and a Boyd penalty helped the O’s to a 2-0 win at Crewe last weekend.

On Tuesday night, Orient were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Cardiff thanks to a 90th minute strike from Peter Whittingham but will still be confident going into the clash with the Cobblers’ as they look to extend their 100% record in League One.


RECENT MEETINGS...

07/04/07: ORIENT 0-2 COBBLERS

The Cobblers came out on top in a relegation six pointer towards the end of last season. Loanee Simon Cox gave us a 12th minute lead before an own goal from Aiden Palmer five minutes from half time secured the points.

19/12/06: COBBLERS 0-1 ORIENT

On a cold Tuesday night in December, Paul Connor’s late goal was enough to seal a win for the O’s and was the final straw for then-boss John Gorman who quit as Cobblers chief just a day later.

14/02/06: COBBLERS 1-1 ORIENT

With both sides battling for promotion, Andy Kirk scored an early wonder goal but John Mackie equalised for the visitors.

14/01/06: ORIENT 1-2 COBBLERS

Seen by many as the result that started to turn our promotion hunt into reality back in 2006. Scott McGleish scrambled home the opener for the Cobblers before Chris Doig headed home number two ten minutes into the second half. Daryl McMahon made it a nervy ending by blasting home from 25 yards with four minutes to go before a mammoth seven minutes of injury time had us on the edge of our seats. But hang on we did and the win sparked a good run of form in our promotion season. This game was also preceded by the infamous “Colin and Sheep” chant!

02/04/05: ORIENT 3-2 COBBLERS

The Cobblers battled back from two goals down to level at 2-2 but Orient grabbed a last gasp winner through Lee Steele.

28/08/04: COBBLERS 2-2 ORIENT

Wayne Carlisle’s early goal was cancelled out by Andy Kirk before Carlisle struck again mid way through the second half. Scott McGleish gave us a point though with a goal just minutes later.


HEAD TO HEAD...ORIENT v COBBLERS...

GAMES PLAYED: 86
COBBLERS WINS: 35
DRAWS: 22
ORIENT WINS: 29

Middlesbrough 2-0 Northampton Town

The Cobblers are out of the Carling Cup following last nights’ 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough. Gareth Southgate’s Premier League outfit were too strong and goals from Fabio Rochemback and Dong Gook Lee were enough to win it despite a good effort from the Town.

Young Alex Dyer was included in the starting line up for the Cobblers with Ian Henderson also included up front with Poul Hubertz. Gareth Southgate sent out a strong side including the likes of Rochemback, Luke Young, Tuncay and Stewart Downing.

The Cobblers seemed unlucky to not be going into half time in front as Ian Henderson hit the post before Alex Dyer and Joe Burnell also went close.

But it was Boro’ who showed their Premier League class eventually and it took two good strikes to finish us off. First, Rochemback struck a 35 yard free kick low past Mark Bunn in the 53rd minute. Just ten minutes later and the game was all but won as Dong Gook Lee curled home from the edge of the area.

We still had chances to get back into the game and Henderson agonisingly had his shot cleared off the line by Luke Young. Boro’s last effort was a header from substitute Mido that Bunn did well to save.

So a defeat and exit from the Carling Cup but by no means a poor showing and we’d rather take three points from Orient on Saturday than win at the Riverside.

COBBLERS: Bunn, Crowe, Jones, Hughes, Doig, Dyer (Brett Johnson 80), Brad Johnson, Burnell (Aiston 67), Holt (Larkin 67), Henderson, Hubertz

Middlesbrough (A) Carling Cup Preview...

The Cobblers travel to Premiership side Middlesbrough tonight hoping to cause an upset in the Carling Cup Second Round. Following the shock results last night that saw Premiership sides Wigan, Derby and Sunderland exit the competition, Stuart Gray will be hopeful that Boro’ will be the next big side to fall.

Gray will send out a full first team for the game with only one or two changes expected from Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Yeovil Town. Giles Coke’s recovery has suffered a set back after he gained a small niggle in the injury that’s kept him out since January so he could be out for another few weeks yet.

Middlesbrough are also set to name a strong line-up this evening with boss Gareth Southgate insisting he will send out a side that he feels good enough to send the Teesiders through to Round Three. Andrew Davies is available after a hamstring problem while Korean Dong Gook Lee is set for his first start of the season. Chris Riggott misses out with a back injury and there are doubts over Mido, Jonathon Woodgate and Julio Arca.


THE STORY SO FAR…MIDDLESBROUGH IN 2007/08...

Boro’ were beaten in their opening two games of the season at home to Blackburn and away at Wigan. But they hit back with their first win at Fulham two weeks ago, coming from behind at Craven Cottage with goals from new signing Mido and Lee Cattermole.

Mido was again in the goals last weekend in the Tyne-Tees derby with Newcastle United. The Toon Army twice took the lead but Mido and Julio Arca gave Boro’ a point.


RECENT MEETINGS…

11/09/01: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 COBBLERS (League Cup Round 2)

The only meeting in recent history was in this competition back in 2001. It took until the 54th minute for the Premiership side to take the lead through David Murphy before Szilard Nemeth made it two just eight minutes later. Sam Parkin gave us hope with ten minutes to go but youngster Mark Wilson sealed the win for the home side.

You have to go back to 1964 for the most recent game before that cup tie when the clubs met in the old Second Division. The game ended 1-1 at the County Ground.


HEAD TO HEAD…BORO’ vs COBBLERS…

GAMES PLAYED: 6
BORO’ WINS: 4
DRAWS: 1
COBBLERS WINS: 1

Northampton Town 1-2 Yeovil Town

The Cobblers were cruelly beaten at Sixfields this afternoon as Lloyd Owusu’s injury time winner sent Yeovil home with all three points in a game that we could and should have won ourselves.

Travelling from the north this time around following a week off and a visit to a friend in Leeds, I was stuck with the usual delays and leaving early for games has become a good tactic to deal with the trains that either get cancelled for no apparent reason or are delayed because of engineering works, bad weather or sheep on the track.

When I eventually got to Sixfields and the blistering heat that had enveloped the town on a brilliantly sunny afternoon, it was obvious that a drink was needed to cool down with so the usual routine of the pre-match beverage went down well despite a couple of heavy nights oop north!

Danny Jackman was ruled out of the game through injury so Daniel Jones came in as a makeshift left back while Joe Burnell replaced Ian Henderson in midfield, pushing Ryan Gilligan into his more favoured right sided position.

We could have been in front within the opening couple of minutes as Andy Holt headed a ball back across goal but Brad Johnson’s right footed effort sailed just wide of the post. Lloyd Owusu looked his usual dangerous self from crosses and his header went just over Mark Bunn’s crossbar in a lively opening to the game.

The tempo to the game was high and the Cobblers seemed on the front foot until Justin Cochrane lost his marker and fired a right footed shot past Bunn at his near post. Brad Johnson again shot wide as we looked for a response before Poul Hubertz grabbed the equaliser and his first goal for the club. Andy Kirk did well to grasp the ball from his marker and Hubertz coolly slotted home past Steve Mildenhall. Kirk went close with an overhead kick before half time but the sides went in level at half time following an entertaining first 45.

The second half started in a more subdued manner and it took until the hour mark for the game to really get going again. Andy Holt hit the crossbar following Kirk’s good work and cross from the right before Brad Johnson sent two free kicks sailing over- the second being a retake following encroachment by Craig Alcock.

Mid-way through the half, Ryan Gilligan got involved with a Yeovil midfielder and from my position looked to swing a punch at his man. Referee Mr Taylor booked Gilly but nothing more came of it. From my angle he was lucky to stay on the pitch if he did throw a punch.

Colin Larkin replaced Kirk for the final ten minutes and the former Chesterfield man almost scored with his first touch but his deflected effort hit the post and rolled away for a corner. Larkin was again close five minutes later. After missing with an initial effort, Larkin collected the ball and curled it against the other post!

With the game looking like ending in a frustrating draw, Yeovil countered and Lloyd Owusu got away from his man before sending a right-footed shot past Bunn and inside the post.

So another disappointing defeat to another side who are no better than us in all honesty. As with Brighton last weekend we failed to convert our chances against an average side and were made to pay. Yeovil will do well to repeat their playoff showing of last season but from our point of view it’s a massive three points missed out on.

Ian Henderson should have started on the right, as Gilligan couldn’t ever provide the width needed while the midfield was again lost at times. Brad Johnson had a real off day while Kirk was frustrated in his attempts to score his fourth in four games.

It gets no easier as early league leaders Leyton Orient welcome us to Brisbane Road next weekend.


PLAYER RATINGS...

MARK BUNN: May be a little disappointed with the first goal but could do nothing with the winner. (6)

JASON CROWE: Again looked in a different league at times and we’ll be looking back soon very thankful that he signed a new deal in the summer. (7)

MARK HUGHES: Solid as ever in the air but let himself down a little with marking. (6)

CHRIS DOIG: Lost Owusu for the winning goal. (5)

DANIEL JONES: Ironically his best performance in a Cobblers shirt comes when he’s played out of position. Linked up well with Holt down the left. (7)

RYAN GILLIGAN: Didn’t give enough width on the right. (6)

JOE BURNELL: Battling performance but needs to add creativity to his game. (6)

BRAD JOHNSON: Misfired on numerous occasions with strangely wayward shooting. Hopefully just an off day for the midfielder. (5)

ANDY HOLT: Still not sure whether he’s a left midfielder. Needs to get forward more and deliver. (6)

ANDY KIRK: Frustrating afternoon for the front man. (6)

POUL HUBERTZ: Battled hard all afternoon and deserved his first goal for the club. (8)

LIAM DOLMAN (SUB): No time to make any difference. (5)

COLIN LARKIN (SUB): Played final ten minutes and could have had two goals. Unlucky to hit the post twice and added a bit of pace to the attack. (6)

Yeovil Town (H) Preview...

The Cobblers entertain Yeovil Town on Saturday afternoon in desperate need of three points to kick start the season following last week’s disappointing loss at Brighton.

Andy Kirk got through the 90 minutes at the Withdean Stadium so will be hopeful that his groin problems are behind him. Giles Coke remains the only other long term injury for the Cobblers going into the game.

Yeovil will give a reserve team run out to club captain Terry Skiverton along with Mark Lynch and Lee Morris before deciding on their fitness ahead of the Sixfields clash.

Last time the sides met was in the opening game of 2007 at Huish Park as Ian Sampson led the Cobblers to a decent 0-0 draw down in Somerset. We’ll be hoping to go one better this time around and pick up our first league success of the season.


THE STORY SO FAR…YEOVIL TOWN IN 2007/08

The Glovers made a bad start to this season with two quick defeats bringing them right back down to earth following their near miss in the playoffs last time around.

Huddersfield Town claimed all three points in their clash with Yeovil on the opening day of the season, Luke Beckett scoring the only goal of the game for The Terriers. They were then beaten 4-1 by League Two side Hereford United in a dismal Carling Cup performance, new signing Lloyd Owusu bagging their only goal on an otherwise forgettable evening.

But following those two set backs, Town replied with a 1-0 home win over Port Vale last weekend with Justin Cochrane’s goal enough to record their first three points of the season.


RECENT MEETINGS…

01/01/07: YEOVIL 0-0 COBBLERS

Stand in boss Ian Sampson helps us to a good point on the first day of the New Year.

12/09/06: COBBLERS 1-1 YEOVIL

Jason Crowe gives the Cobblers a 32nd minute lead but Marcus Stewart levels things up in the second half with a good header to claim a point.

01/03/05: COBBLERS 1-1 YEOVIL

Crowe again makes the score sheet, this time getting the equaliser in the 88th minute following Aaron Davies’ first half goal.

02/10/04: YEOVIL 1-1 COBBLERS

Phil Jevons puts The Glovers into a 14th minute lead but Eric Sabin grabs a deserved equaliser in the 79th minute.

03/02/04: COBBLERS 2-0 YEOVIL

Chris Hargreaves and Martin Smith do the damage as the Cobblers’ revival under Colin Calderwood gains full speed on the way to the epic playoff campaign of 2004.

25/08/03: YEOVIL 0-2 COBBLERS

Paul Reid and Josh Low’s first half goals are enough to see off the home side on a hot Bank Holiday Monday in August 2003.

COBBLERS v YEOVIL…HEAD TO HEAD…

GAMES PLAYED: 7
COBBLERS WINS: 2
DRAWS: 4
YEOVIL WINS: 1

Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 Northampton Town

Awful refereeing, bad discipline and lack of creativity all contributed to the final outcome as the Cobblers were beaten at the Withdean Stadium. Andy Kirk’s third goal in three games couldn’t prevent our first defeat this season on a rainy day in Brighton.

It’s always nice to have a break from the long haul of match days that comes as part of the deal of living away from Northampton. Following last week’s traffic madness in getting back up to my beautiful birth town, it was welcoming that the next fixture on the list was a local one for me…the hour and a half trip to Brighton being one of the closer ventures this season, beaten only by Bournemouth for close range excursions.

So I even managed a lie-in before heading out and leaving Southampton at 11:30 was a blessing, despite the dark rain clouds that were gathering overhead. A quick change of train at glorious Eastleigh and I was away, amongst the usual Saturday train passengers:

- The Chavs…part and parcel of any community these days. You can’t get rid of them and their constant need to play music on their mobile phones until someone in France hears their tunes.

- The Family Day out…often accompanied by screaming children are the moaning Dad, the Mum playing Sudoku, ignoring the rest of the family, and the occasional sleeping Uncle.

- The football “hooligans”…on this occasion, Pompey Fans, this type of rail user can often fall into the “chav” category but distance themselves by being old enough to buy a can of Strongbow from the train buffet cart. Usually a gang of five or six lads who are out to get drunk and shout insults at one another.

Anyway, you get the picture there, and I’m starting to sound like an old man moaning about the “youf” of today so on to more pressing matters at the Withdean! The view was as poor as I remembered from last October’s visit but I hoped for a more entertaining game then the atrocity of that day. There was certainly more incident, from the very start.

Stuart Gray stuck with the side that defeated Millwall in the Carling Cup on Tuesday evening with Andy Kirk making it into the starting line-up despite a recent groin problem.

After just 52 seconds, Chris Doig fouled Alex Revell in area and Albion had a penalty, converted by Dean Hammond to stun the Cobblers in the opening minute of the game. There was a quick response though and Andy Kirk shot wide before Poul Hubertz headed over.

The breakthrough came eventually as Andy Kirk scored his third header of the season, this time from a Jason Crowe cross. From then on we looked in control and if anyone was going to go in front, it looked likely to be the Cobblers. Andy Holt and Hubertz tested home goalkeeper Michele Kuipers as the half came to an end and we were optimistic going into the second 45.

Unfortunately we lost composure as referee Mike Thorpe made a couple of hundred enemies looking on from the, fortunately for him, long distance of the away end. Time after time, Hubertz was challenging for headers and just because of his height was adjudged to be the one fouling his man. A Brighton player went down and Thorpe stopped the game as we were attacking. From the resulting restart, Albion hammered the ball back towards Mark Bunn. When one of our players went down, the game rolled on, Thorpe standing right next to the incident yet letting Brighton play on around the injured player.

Hubertz was booked for “consistent infringement” before Mark Hughes also saw yellow after a scuffle in the Brighton half which saw him push a home player in the chest. Minutes later and with the Cobblers losing their heads it was 2-1. A dodgy free kick in our half was headed home by Revell and from then on we never looked like getting back in the game.

Our only half chance came from a corner but there weren’t enough bodies in the area to convert the ball.

After five minutes of injury time, it was all over and we headed home pointless from our first away game of the season. Although you can lie part of the blame on Mr Thorpe’s shocking decisions and refereeing in general, the Cobblers should have been more disciplined and lost our rag too easily, costing us a point and possibly even three by how much we were in control of the first half once we were level.

The midfield looks lightweight and we lack the certain spark from the central areas to turn defence into attack. The annoying thing was that Brighton weren’t that great. To be beaten by a poor side makes it even harder to take and luckily I wasn’t one of the couple of hundred people who had the long journey back to Northampton to deal with.

I was, instead, left alone to ponder the day on the trip back along the south coast and I was thinking all the way home that it had been a shocking day, we had an awful referee, played pretty badly in the second half, got wet and generally went home miserable and that means that football is well and truly back!


PLAYER RATINGS

MARK BUNN: Dealt with crosses well after a few near misses on Tuesday night. Couldn’t get near the penalty. (7)

JASON CROWE: The only hope going forward was our right back, which should worry the midfield. (8)

MARK HUGHES: Unprofessional to lose it by running half the pitch to complain and make his presence felt in the scuffle that led to his booking. (6)

CHRIS DOIG: Clumsily gave the penalty away. (6)

DANNY JACKMAN: Had a good game at left back and unfortunate to be replaced late on. (7)

IAN HENDERSON: Played on the right and never looked like providing much ammunition for Kirk and Hubertz. (6)

RYAN GILLIGAN: Still not convinced that he’s a starter and didn’t get a lot of space. (6)

BRAD JOHNSON: Didn’t impose himself enough on the game and needs to offer more than a powerful shot now and again. (6)

ANDY HOLT: Not allowed to get forward much and like Henderson needed to provide more balls into the box. (6)

ANDY KIRK: Took the goal well and is on fire at the start of the season. Hope he can keep it up as the season kicks in. (7)

POUL HUBERTZ: Frustrated late on after the unlucky booking. Needs the service but also needs to dig in himself and not get too annoyed at decisions that are always seemingly going to go against him. (6)

BRETT JOHNSON (SUB): Beaten easily by Albion sub Bas Savage on a couple of occasions. (5)

DANIEL JONES (SUB): Again played on the right but never gave us anything more in terms of a hope for a let equaliser. (5)

COLIN LARKIN (SUB): Only on for stoppage time. (5)

Brighton and Hove Albion (A) Preview...

We make our first journey of the season away from Sixfields tomorrow night as Brighton and Hove Albion host the Cobblers at The Withdean Stadium. Albion fans are on a high after the club finally gained clearance for their new ground in Falmer but on the pitch, the Seagulls have lost their opening two games and will be looking to bounce back against the Town.

Stuart Gray is waiting on the fitness of Andy Kirk as he prepares the team for the visit to the south coast. Kirk, who has scored two in two games at the start of this season, has a groin problem but the only other injury problem is the long term absence of midfielder Giles Coke, who isn’t expected back until October.

Brighton are sweating on the fitness of Joel Lynch who picked up a knee injury in the midweek cup defeat at Cardiff. Jake Robinson and Doug Loft could both feature after coming through a reserve game unscathed this week.

Last time the sides met, Bas Savage’s double strike gave the Seagulls a 2-0 success at Sixfields back in March to virtually confirm their League One survival.


THE STORY SO FAR…BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION IN 2007/08

Last weekend, Albion were beaten in their opening game of the season at Crewe. Dean Cox gave them the lead after just 14 minutes but Crewe turned the game around with two goals including one penalty from Gary Roberts.

On Tuesday night, they were in Carling Cup action as they held Cardiff City at Ninian Park to a goalless draw in 90 minutes. The deadlock was broken though ten minutes into extra time as Roger Johnson pounced to send Albion out of the competition.

Following two tight away defeats, The Seagulls will be looking to bounce back in their opening home game of the campaign tomorrow afternoon.


RECENT MEETINGS

31/03/07: COBBLERS 0-2 BRIGHTON

A double from Bas Savage gives Albion a vital three points in the battle against the drop.

21/10/06: BRIGHTON 1-1 COBBLERS

Jake Robinson scores from close range to give Brighton a lead but a bizarre late goal from James Quinn salvages a draw. Quinn was put through by a quick thinking throw in on 84 minutes and finished well for his only Town goal to date.

12/03/02: BRIGHTON 2-0 COBBLERS

Bobby Zamora scores in the first half for Albion before Simon Morgan makes it a comfortable victory for the home side.

31/08/01: COBBLERS 2-0 BRIGHTON

Up until this game, we hadn’t won a game all season but late goals from Marco Gabbiadini and Derek Asamoah finally gave us something to cheer about.

19/02/00: COBBLERS 1-0 BRIGHTON

An early Ian Sampson goal wins the game for the Town.

27/11/99: BRIGHTON 1-3 COBBLERS

Carlo Corrazzin gives us the lead on 8 minutes but Warren Aspinall nets a leveller on the half hour. Darryl Clare and Sean Parrish score in quick succession in the second half though to gain a massive win on the way to promotion in the 99/00 season.


HEAD TO HEAD…THE COBBLERS vs. BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION

TOTAL MEETINGS: 118

COBBLERS WINS: 51
DRAWS: 31
BRIGHTON WINS: 36

Cobblers handed Middlesbrough trip in Carling Cup...

The Cobblers will travel to The Riverside Stadium in the Carling Cup Second Round after drawing Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough last night. Following the victory over Millwall on Tuesday night, Stuart Gray’s side will be hopeful of causing a major upset against the Premiership side, who have lost both of their opening two games this season.

Following a home defeat to Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the season, Boro went down 1-0 at Wigan on Wednesday night.

The last time the sides met in the competition was in September 2001 when Boro ran out 3-1 winners at the Riverside with second half goals from David Murphy, Szilard Nemeth and Mark Wilson. Sam Parkin replied for the Cobblers.

The Cobblers may fancy their chances of an upset this time around if Boro’s shaky start to the season continues but either way, it’s a big test for us and with nothing to lose, who knows what could happen!

Football is back...and better than ever!

We’re just a few days into the season and what a great feeling it is to have football back in the world after the summer break!

From the moment I woke up on Saturday morning for the trip home for the Swindon game through to last night’s bonus MOTD it’s been a simply awesome week, reminding us of why we love the game so much. There’s an old saying that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone but in this case, you really don’t know what you’ve got until it returns!

Swindon at home was a super day out while watching MOTD on Saturday night, albeit slightly drunk, was a blessing. I’ve never been happier to see Gary Linekar on the small screen. Adrian Chiles (above) doesn’t mean to be comical I’m sure but the only reason we sit down to watch the glorious MOTD2 on Sunday nights is to look out for brilliant Chiles comedy moments.

It’s going to take a lot to beat last season’s “they’re masticating in unison” comment from the Chilesmeister as he described two fans chewing gum in perfect symmetry but he began the season in style after Claudio Pizarro of Chelsea mispronounced the word “titles” by saying “we’re here to win a lot of TITTLES.” Cut back to Chiles and immediately he comes out with “I like Tittles.” Now this may not be funny to anyone else but it left us in hysterics for a good two and a half minutes and almost made me choke on a Jammy Dodger. Welcome back Mr Chiles, we’ve missed you!

If the weekend wasn’t enough, the Carling Cup was earlier than usual this season and Tuesday night’s victory for the Cobblers over Millwall sets us up for a possible glamour tie in this evening’s draw as all the Premiership sides that aren’t in Europe enter the hat. Portsmouth away would be perfect!

The Premiership was also back this midweek and Manchester United are now languishing in the bottom half. There’s not a lot of times we’re going to be able to say that this season and I for one expect them to come firing back on Sunday which sets up what should be an awesome Manchester derby. Straight after that, it’s Liverpool-Chelsea!

But first I have another outing with the Cobblers and the first away game of the season at Brighton on Saturday to look forward to.

Football, my friends, is back and better than ever!


**There are currently no scores in the Old School Dream Team game we’re playing despite two Soccer Specials this week.**


***For more on the Premiership, check out www.Sportsitegeist.co.uk***

Northampton Town 2-0 Millwall

Goals from Bradley Johnson and Andy Kirk ensured that The Cobblers progress into Round Two of the Carling Cup with a 2-0 victory over Millwall.

The Cobblers made just one change from the side that drew with Swindon Town at the weekend as Poul Hubertz was brought in to replace Colin Larkin to face his former club.

Hubertz was immediately involved in two strong challenges from Millwall defenders as the visitors made their mark on the big forward early on in the game. Ryan Smith went close for Millwall with the first real chance of the game on ten minutes but Mark Bunn was equal to the shot. Andy Kirk had the Cobblers’ first effort on goal ten minutes later but his left footed shot sailed over the bar.

Jason Crowe shot over on the half hour mark before Bradley Johnson had to clear off his own goal line following a dangerous corner that caused confusion in the Town defence. Another ball into the Cobblers’ area just minutes later missed three Millwall players and Neil Harris should have done better at getting a connection to the ball.

On 37 minutes, we had the breakthrough. Bradley Johnson lined up a free kick and powered his shot through Chris Day in the Millwall goal to give the Cobblers a 1-0 lead.

Just before the break, a goalmouth scramble ensued in the Town area but Chris Doig managed to scramble the ball away for a corner so that we headed into the break in front.

There was a quiet start to the second half before Johnson again tested the resolve of Chris Day from long range but this time the visiting goalkeeper held the ball comfortably. On the hour mark though, we had doubled our lead as Andy Kirk scored a carbon copy of his opening day goal against Swindon from a Poul Hubertz cross.

Just five minutes later, Kirk could have had a second but his shot hit the post and bounced away to safety. Hubertz was then substituted as Brett Johnson came on to replace the big man.

With 20 minutes to play, Andy Holt had to clear the ball off the line after Mark Bunn flapped at a cross and missed the ball, not for the first time in the night. Ian Henderson had a goal ruled out for offside before Daniel Jones replaced Danny Jackman on the left hand side.

Henderson could have made it three with ten minutes to go when he was put through by Bradley Johnson but he dragged his shot wide of the post.
Danny May had Millwall’s final chance as his header flashed wide in stoppage time but the Cobblers held on to progress into Round Two. We’ll find out our opponents on Thursday night following the completion of the Rotherham-Sheffield Wednesday game on Sky Sports.

Cobblers v Millwall (Carling Cup) Preview...

After the 1-1 draw with Swindon Town at the weekend, The Cobblers quickly return to action as they prepare to face Millwall in the First Round of the Carling Cup this evening (7:45pm).

Stuart Gray looks likely to hand Poul Hubertz his first start for the club against his old side whilst Giles Coke is the only injury of note going into the game. Gray has said that he intends to field his strongest side that’s available to him to give us every chance of progression.

Millwall will continue to call upon Chris Day in goal to deputise for the injured Lenny Pidgely. Day put in a man of the match performance at Doncaster on Saturday to earn the Lions a draw and is determined to try and keep out his former team mate Hubertz.

THE STORY SO FAR...MILLWALL IN 2007/08

The Lions got off to a decent start to their league campaign on Saturday as they held Doncaster Rovers to a goalless draw at the Keepmoat Stadium. Chris Day made a string of good saves to keep the home side out and to hand ‘Wall a share of the spoils.


RECENT MEETINGS

23/01/07: COBBLERS 3-0 MILLWALL

In a re-arranged game following the abandonment in the first meeting, goals from Scott McGleish, Andy Holt and Bradley Johnson gave the Cobblers all three points.

23/09/06: MILLWALL 0-1 COBBLERS

Cobblers’ loanee Mitchell Cole struck what turned out to be his only goal for the club on 42 minutes to seal a narrow win.

20/02/01: COBBLERS 3-3 MILLWALL

Goals from Paul Moody and Neil Harris give ‘Wall the lead but The Cobblers came storming back and took a 3-2 lead through Marco Gabbiadini and two Dave Savage penalties. Christophe Kinet grabbed a late equaliser for the Lions.

05/12/00: MILLWALL 4-1 COBBLERS (Football League Trophy)

Christophe Kinet scores a hat-trick while Richard Sadlier scores the other as Millwall cruise past the Cobblers in the Football league trophy. James Gould scores our only goal.

12/09/00: MILLWALL 0-1 COBBLERS

A solitary Marco Gabbiadini goal gives us an early away win in the 2000/01 season.

27/02/99: COBBLERS 1-2 MILLWALL

Stuart Nethercott scores to give the Lions a first half lead before Carlo Corazzin equalises with ten minutes to go. Just as we thought we had a point in the bag, Richard Sadlier popped up in the 87th minute to win the game.


HEAD TO HEAD…THE COBBLERS vs MILLWALL

TOTAL MEETINGS: 108

COBBLERS WINS: 39
DRAWS: 18
MILLWALL WINS: 51

Northampton Town 1-1 Swindon Town

The Cobblers began the season with a point yesterday as Swindon Town claimed a share of the spoils following a penalty late into the first half.

It was like waiting for Christmas as a young child. This final week of waiting for the 2007/08 season to begin has dragged just like those times as a wee nipper when we waited for the big man in the red suit to deliver his presents.

The gift on offer at the end of this week, however, was twenty-two men kicking a football around a big piece of grass. I can honestly say I’ve never received a gift like this on December 25th unless you count a Subbutteo set around ten years back. I still have no idea why these twenty-two men and a football means so much to so many people and I don’t think I’ll ever find a suitable answer to my friends who don’t follow the beautiful game.

Luckily my flat mate in Southampton, Jamie, shares my love of the game and I’ve now fully converted him to the ways of the claret. I even persuaded him to dress up in a doctor’s coat back in May for the game at Doncaster and he was hooked enough to want to drive us up to Sixfields yesterday on a beautifully sunny day, as seems to be the norm for the opening day of the football season.

We headed out early so we could pick a random place to stop en route and brilliantly stumbled across a nice village pub somewhere south of Oxford where we took in the morning sun and prepared ourselves for the rest of the journey.

The traffic from then on was very stop-start with more caravans than you’re ever likely to see on one road plus the added “bonus” of the soaring heat but we arrived safely in the end as family fun day at Sixfields was just getting under way. The bouncy castle was tempting but it seemed that it was children only so we headed to the Carlsberg Bar and watched as a Fitness First team tried to persuade the Cobblers faithful to have a free fitness test. The fact that their position was sandwiched between the burger van and the bar probably didn’t help!

With the excitement building, we learned that Ryan Gilligan would start in midfield as opposed to the expected inclusion of Joe Burnell. Danny Jackman, Ian Henderson and Colin Larkin were handed their debuts while Andy Kirk began up front.

It was great to be back inside the Theatre of Dreams that is Sixfields Stadium and we were handed the perfect start against newly promoted Swindon Town. Larkin, playing on the right hand side of midfield, provided an inch perfect cross for Kirk to nod past Swindon goalkeeper Phil Smith. I received a text saying that we were apparently top of the league when the goal went in!

The tempo was high and the Cobblers looked good for a second but as the half progressed, the visitors were getting more and more into the game. Christian Roberts was doing well in his position on the right hand side and forced Bunn into a good save. Roberts was also providing dangerous crosses in the final third and one of these balls came to fruition as it missed the entire back line but agonisingly bounced up onto Larkin’s arm to give Swindon a penalty with a minute of the half to go.
It was a bitter blow at the end of the first half and the major boost given to Swindon by the goal gave them a spring in their step as the second half got underway.

A couple of minutes into the second half, Roberts hit a stinging shot from 25 yards against Mark Bunn’s post before Brad Johnson lined up for a trademark free kick but his low effort was held well by Phil Smith.

After five minutes of the half, Stuart Gray introduced Poul Hubertz to the fray along with Wolves loanee Daniel Jones, replacing Larkin and Henderson and Hubertz’ first activity of note was getting himself booked!

With time running out, we needed a hero and so very nearly got it when Hubertz went close twice. First he got on the end of a cross and should have scored with a volley but Smith was once again equal to it. Then the big man found space in the box to connect with an overhead kick that looked like it was flying out of the ground. But at the last minute, the ball dipped and hammered the cross bar before Swindon cleared their lines.

Lee Peacock and substitute Kaid Mohammed went close late on for Swindon but the game ended in a draw and the right result at the end of an entertaining first game of the season. We’ll come up against a lot worse sides than Swindon this season but we’ll also face better sides and the Cobblers need to find a killer touch and some creativity from midfield should we harbour any ambitions for a playoff challenge.

PLAYER RATINGS

MARK BUNN: Commanding as ever but sent the wrong way from the spot kick. (7)

JASON CROWE: Deserved man of the match award after providing energy and invention down the right hand side along with solid defending. (8)

MARK HUGHES: Strong as ever and could be a key player in his first full season at the club. (7)

CHRIS DOIG: Good to see him put in a full 90 minutes to out his recent injury worries behind him. (7)

DANNY JACKMAN: Lacks great height but makes up for it in quality. Deliveries were good from corners. (6)

COLIN LARKIN: Played on the right hand side and did a good job. Provided the ball for the Cobblers’ goal but will be disappointed to concede the penalty. (6)

RYAN GILLIGAN: Centre midfield isn’t his position and he sometimes got lost in the middle of the park. (5)

BRAD JOHNSON: Went close with a free kick but didn’t provide an awful lot of spark from his position. (6)

ANDY HOLT: Seems to be enjoying his new role further up the park and linked up well with Jackman. (6)

IAN HENDERSON: Wasted a couple of balls but showed flashes of quality up front. (6)

ANDY KIRK: Looks a new player and took the goal well. Hopefully the start of a good run for the front man. (8)

POUL HUBERTZ (Sub): Put himself about and went agonisingly close with the overhead kick at the end. Unlucky to be booked but a good debut. (8)

DANIEL JONES (Sub): Looked out of place on the right but, despite switching to his favoured left hand side, still looked unwilling to take players on at times. (6)

JOE BURNELL (Sub): Probably should have started in place of Burnell but steadied the midfield when he came on. (6)

Northampton Town vs Swindon Town...Preview...

And so here we go again. The 2007/08 season is finally here and we can once again look forward to another roller coaster ride with The Cobblers. First up are newly promoted Swindon Town who visit Sixfields tomorrow full of confidence after last seasons’ elevation to League One.

Stuart Gray has a relatively full squad to choose from with Giles Coke the only absentee for the clash with the Robins. Ian Henderson, Colin Larkin, Daniel Jones and Poul Hubertz should all make their competitive debuts while a tactical switch from last season could see a new 4-4-2 formation in place.

Hasney Aljofree and Andy Nicolas are major doubts for Swindon whilst striker Barry Corr is also expected to miss the game, meaning Lee Peacock may be played out of position to deputise in attack.

The last time the sides met was in March 2003 when the Cobblers ran out 1-0 winners at Sixfields thanks to a solitary Paul Harsley goal. This was, however, the season when we finished bottom of League One and we would go on to win just once more in that season.


THE STORY SO FAR...SWINDON TOWN IN 2007/08

The Robins kicked off pre-season with a thumping 6-2 victory over local side Swindon Supermarine before heading off to Austria for a tour that involved three friendlies. After drawing their opening game of the tour 0-0 with Romanian side Jiul Petrosani, they went on to beat SV Bad Ischl 4-0 before rounding off the tour with a 1-0 defeat to Rodengo Saiano Brescia.

Back on home soil, Town narrowly lost out to Bristol City by the single goal in their only home friendly and then finished off the pre-season with wins at Exeter City and Forest Green.


RECENT MEETINGS

08/03/03: Cobblers 1-0 Swindon

Paul Harsley’s winner gives the Cobblers a rare success in the relegation season.

21/09/02: Swindon 2-0 Cobblers

Johnnie Jackson gives Swindon a first half lead before former Cobbler Sam Parkin adds insult to injury by slotting home a penalty late on.

02/02/02: Swindon 2-1 Cobblers

Marco Gabbiadini scores an own goal after just five minutes before Danny Invincible doubles the Robins’ lead. Jamie Forrester hits back with ten minutes to go but it’s not enough.

29/09/01: Cobblers 1-1 Swindon

Guliano Grazioli gives Swindon the lead at Sixfields but Roy Hunter grabs an equaliser in Kevan Broadhurst’s first game in charge.

07/04/01: Swindon 1-1 Cobblers

Ian Woan puts the home side in front after two minutes but Dave Savage rescues a point.

02/12/00: Cobblers 0-1 Swindon

Gary Alexander scores the only goal of the game at Sixfields.


HEAD TO HEAD...THE COBBLERS vs SWINDON TOWN

TOTAL MEETINGS: 93

COBBLERS WINS: 32
DRAWS: 18
SWINDON WINS: 43

League One Preview 2007/08...Part Eight...

With the season now just two days away, last seasons' League Two champions Walsall and playoff finalists Yeovil Town complete the League One preview series.

Walsall

Nickname: The Saddlers
Ground: The Bescot Stadium
Capacity: 9,000
Manager: Richard Money


KEY PLAYERS: Tommy Mooney’s signing from Wycombe will provide Walsall with bags of experience up front while Martin Butler is another goal threat after hitting eleven in League Two last season. New signing from Port Vale, Danny Sonner can also be influential coming forward.


TRANSFERS IN: Danny Sonner (Port Vale) FREE , Paul Hall (Chesterfield) FREE, Tommy Mooney (Wycombe) FREE, Carlos Carneiro (Panionios FC) FREE, Paul Boertien (Derby) FREE, Eddy Sonko (Xanthi Skoda) FREE, Rhys Weston (Port Vale) FREE

TRANSFERS OUT: Tony Bedeau (Torquay) FREE, Craig Pead (Brentford) FREE, Kris Taylor (Hereford) FREE, Hector Sam (Notts County) FREE, Mark Wright (MK Dons) FREE, Chris Westwood (Peterborough) FREE, Dean Keates (Peterborough) FREE


SQUAD:


GOALKEEPERS: Clayton Ince, Bertrand Bossu, Rene Gilmartin

DEFENDERS: Rhys Weston, Daniel Fox, Anthony Gerrard, Ian Roper, Michael Dobson, Scott Dann, Allan Picken, Paul Boertian, Mark Bradley, Netan Sansara

MIDFIELD: Danny Sonner, Darren Wrack, Paul Hall, Ishmel Demontagnac, Emmanuele Smith, Edrissa Sonko

FORWARDS: Martin Butler, Tommy Mooney, Carlos Carneiro, Alex Nicholls, Troy Deeney, David McDermott


LAST SEASON: Walsall finished as League Two champions last term and will be confident of more progression as 2007/08 kicks off.

The Saddlers began last season as one of the favourites for promotion and began to show early signs that they were living up to that billing. Starting off with a single goal victory at Rochdale, they went on to lose just once in their opening 21 league games- a 2-1 reverse at Grimsby.

Swindon claimed the honour as the first side to take three points from the Bescot Stadium with a 2-0 win in December and a few draws over Christmas kept Walsall within reach of the chasing pack.

Following a decent start to 2007, they were held back by a poor month of February, losing to Hartlepool, Lincoln and Stockport in succession. But the Saddlers weren’t to be denied promotion and fought back with a nine game unbeaten run that set them up in style for the run-in. After winning promotion in their final home league game with a 1-0 win over Wrexham, Walsall drew at fellow promotion hunting Swindon Town on the final day to clinch the League Two Championship.



Yeovil Town


Nickname: The Glovers
Ground: Huish Park
Capacity: 9,400
Manager: Russell Slade


KEY PLAYERS: The exits of key players such as Paul Terry and Aaron Davies could be a major blow to The Glovers this term but they’ve brought well with Marc Bircham a key figure in the middle of the park. His signing from QPR on a free transfer could turn out to be one of the deals of the summer in League One. Marcus Stewart is another who catches the eye and scored at Sixfields in Yeovil’s 1-1 draw last season.


TRANSFERS IN: Paul Warne (Oldham) FREE, Gary Dempsey (Aberdeen) FREE, Darryl Knights (Ipswich) FREE, Marc Bircham (QPR) FREE, Jerahl Hughes (Crystal Palace) FREE, Lloyd Owusu (Brentford) FREE, Curtis Ujah (Reading) FREE, Marvin Williams (Millwall) FREE, Lee Peltier (Liverpool) FREE

TRANSFERS OUT: Jean-Paul Kalala (Oldham) FREE, Chris Cohen (Nottingham Forest) FREE, Aaron Davies (Nottingham Forest) FREE, Paul Terry (Leyton Orient) FREE, Andy Lindegaard (Cheltenham) FREE, Anthony Tonkin (Forest Green) FREE, Wayne Gray (Leyton Orient) FREE


SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS: Steve Midenhall, Darren Behcet

DEFENDERS: Mark Lynch, Nathan Jones, Terry Skiverton, Scott Guyett, Matty Rose, Terrell Forbes, Craig Alcock

MIDFIELD: Gary Dempsey, Anthony Barry, Paul Warne, Marvin Williams, Lee Peltier, Marc Bircham, Jerahl Hughes, Ishmael Welsh, Stephen Maher

FORWARDS: Lloyd Owusu, Marcus Stewart, Lee Morris, Darryl Knights, Tom Clarke


LAST SEASON: Yeovil agonisingly missed out on a place in the Championship last season after a playoff final defeat to Blackpool.

The Glovers had an up and down start and didn’t fully get into gear until September where four wins in a row shot them up into contention at the right end of the table. A 2-0 home defeat by fellow high flyers Scunthorpe at the end of October didn’t do too much to halt their run and the club went unbeaten over Christmas and New Year.

As 2007 kicked in, Town were still in a strong position and good wins away at Bradford, Carlisle and Bournemouth set them up for a playoff charge. They just weren’t good enough to break into the top two but four wins in their final five games ensured a playoff berth against Nottingham Forest.

Not many gave Yeovil a chance after a 2-0 home defeat in the first leg against Forest but the incredible fight back at the City Ground as they ran out 5-2 winners after extra time was the highlight of their season before the disappointment of defeat to Blackpool at Wembley in the final.

Hubertz joins Cobblers from Millwall

Poul Hubertz became the Cobblers' latest signing yesterday as the big hit man joined from League One rivals Millwall.

The 30-year-old had a trial with the club and impressed boss Stuart Gray enough for him to offer a contract and hand him his debut at Nene Park yesterday afternoon.

Hubertz began his career at Danish side Aab Aalborg before joining Millwall in August 2006, scoring ten times last season. One goal of his that won’t be on the record was the one he scored at Sixfields back in December. His strike gave Millwall the lead but the game was abandoned mid-way through the second half before we won the re-arranged game 3-0.

The squad is now just about complete and the arrival of Hubertz certainly gives us a bit more of a presence up front with the player standing at 6’5 tall. It also means that James Quinn is pushed down the pecking order, which is very welcome news indeed!

Rushden and Diamonds 0-3 Northampton Town

The Cobblers took home the Maunsell Cup yesterday as goals from Bradley Johnson, Ian Henderson and Colin Larkin grabbed the goals that eased us to a 2-0 win at Nene Park.

After Andy Kirk had an early effort ruled out for offside, Johnson hammered a 25 yard effort past Diamonds keeper Paul Bastock. Seven minutes before half time we were two up as Ian Henderson continued his good pre-season by finishing from close range. The scoring was complete when Colin Larkin converted a cross from the Cobblers’ new signing from Millwall, Poul Hubertz.

Daniel Jones played 56 minutes of his debut while Chris Doig and Brett Johnson also getting a run out in the final game of our pre-season.

Following the heavy defeats to Championship sides West Bromwich Albion and Wolves, it was a welcome victory and although the Maunsell Cup isn’t exactly the most recognised of trophies to win, anything we take from the Diamonds is a good thing!

So the pre-season comes to an end and we’re now under a week away from the big kick off!


The pre-season results:

UE San Jose 1-3 Cobblers
SD Portmany 0-5 Cobblers
Kettering Town 0-1 Cobblers
Cobblers 1-1 Coventry City
Cobblers 1-5 West Bromwich Albion
Cobblers 0-3 Wolverhampton WanderersRushden and Diamonds 0-3 Cobblers

League One Preview 2007/08...Part Seven...

In the penultimate League One preview, we look at two sides that just missed out on the playoffs last term, Swansea City and Tranmere Rovers plus league new boys Swindon Town.


Swansea City

Nickname: The Swans
Ground: The Liberty Stadium
Capacity: 20,500
Manager: Roberto Martinez


KEY PLAYERS: Despite the recent sale of Lee Trundle, The Swans still have plenty of fire power to gun for promotion once again. Darryl Duffy has signed on a permanent deal following a successful spell on loan at The Liberty Stadium last season where he hit five goals in five starts to fire City to the brink of the playoffs. Andy Robinson’s powerful runs and goals from midfield will once again be key while big Dennis Lawrence can be dangerous from set pieces.


TRANSFERS IN: Jason Scotland (St Johnstone) Nominal, Angel Rangel (Terrassa) Nominal, Guillem Bauza Mayol (Espanyol B) FREE, Dorus De Vries (Dunfermline) FREE, Ferrie Bodde (Den Haag) FREE, Darryl Duffy (Hull) £200,000

TRANSFERS OUT: Tom Williams (Wycombe) FREE, Andy Oakes (Darlington) FREE, Ezomo Iriekpen (Scunthorpe) FREE, Pawel Abbott (Darlington) £100,000


SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS: Willy Gueret, Dorus De Vries

DEFENDERS: Kevin Amankwaah, Kevin Austin, Kristian O’Leary, Alan Tate, Steven Watt, Marcos Painter, Dennis Lawrence, Gary Monk, Angel Rangel, Kyle Graves

MIDFIELD: Ferrie Bodde, Leon Britton, Andy Robinson, Darren Pratley, Owain Tudur-Jones, Shaun MacDonald, Darren Way, Matty Collins, Thomas Butler, Ian Craney

FORWARDS: Jason Scotland, Darryl Duffy, Guillem Bauza Mayol, Joe Allen


LAST SEASON: Despite being one of the bookies’ favourites for promotion, Swansea began their season poorly with a shock home defeat to Cheltenham Town. An up and down start to their season meant that the early optimism was fading and the Swans faced a battle to be involved in the promotion shake up.

Defeat to the Cobblers in our first home win of the season in October was followed by a decent run of form including progression in the F.A. Cup and as Christmas beckoned, they were back in contention in a run that featured a huge 5-0 home win over Carlisle United.

Back in the F.A. Cup and the Swans upset Sheffield United in Round Three (3-0 at Brammall Lane) before going out to Ipswich in Round Four. City’s league form then dipped and defeats to Cheltenham, Oldham, Scunthorpe and Yeovil cost Kenny Jackett his job.

Former Swans player Roberto Martinez stepped in and he managed four wins in his opening five games. There just wasn’t enough in the tank though to take them to the playoffs and despite a late surge, a 6-3 home defeat to Blackpool on the final day meant that it’s League One again for Swansea next season where they will once again be among the favourites for promotion.

Swindon Town

Nickname: The Robins
Ground: The County Ground
Capacity: 15, 728
Manager: Paul Sturrock


KEY PLAYERS: Jamie Vincent can play in numerous positions and his versatility could be a big asset for the Robins. Craig Easton has joined from Leyton Orient and gives good experience to the midfield while up front, Christian Roberts finished as the top scorer for the club in last seasons’ promotion season.


TRANSFERS IN: Chris Blackburn (Morecambe) FREE, Miguel Comminges (Stade de Reims) FREE, Barry Corr (Sheffield Wednesday) FREE, Craig Easton (Leyton Orient) FREE, Hasney Aljofree (Plymouth) FREE

TRANSFERS OUT: Claude Gnakpa (Peterborough) FREE, Aaron Brown (Gillingham) FREE, Lucas Jutkiewicz (Everton) FREE


SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS: Peter Brezovan, Phil Smith

DEFENDERS: Jack Smith, Jamie Vincent, Jerel Ifil, Ady Williams, Andrew Nicholas, Chris Blackburn, Hasney Aljofree, Miguel Comminges

MIDFIELD: Sofiane Zaaboub, Craig Easton, Andy Caton

FORWARDS: Christian Roberts, Lee Peacock, Barry Corr, Blair Sturrock, Kaid Mohammed


LAST SEASON: Swindon won promotion last season after pipping the MK Dons to the third and final automatic promotion place.

The Robins made a superb start to the season with seven wins from their opening eight games, their only defeat in that run coming at Wrexham. A run of four draws in a row in late September and early October slowed their charge down a little before they hit back by beating Grimsby 3-0 at the County Ground.

They continued their excellent form through Christmas and picked up a valuable 2-0 win at fellow promotion challengers Walsall. A new year run of four wins in a row at the start of 2007 set them up for a title challenge but it was drawing games that held them up and kept them from taking top spot. Goalless draws at Rochdale and Hereford kept the pressure on Town as the season came to its conclusion but they held their nerve and despite a late defeat to Bristol Rovers, claimed the final promotion place on the last day of the season following a 1-1 draw with Walsall.


2007/08…Swindon fan Nathan Norris gives his views on what to expect from the Robins this term…

How was last season?

Last season was satisfactory. I predicted us to finish third at the start and said anything less than the playoffs would be a disaster. Off the field it was terrible, what with our investor leaving and then a huge conflict erupting between supporters and the board, which is still on going. On the field, it wasn't really pretty to watch but a wins a win, and we won a lot last season without ever playing any good. If we had a goal scorer we would have won the league, but hey we went up so I can't complain.

Which summer signings are you most looking forward to seeing?

Craig Easton is probably the one I'm most looking forward to seeing. Orient fans really rated him so it sounds like he could do a great job for us in the middle. Apart from Easton, all our signings have pretty much been defenders! Although having said that, we've signed a right back called Miguel Comminges and everyone seems to raving about him so I look forward to seeing what he can bring to us.

What are the expectations for this season?

This season is about consolidation. We're very good at the back but up front we are lacking and currently only have 2 fit strikers. One of them Blair Sturrock, the other a young lad we've just signed from the League of Wales. The lack of goals will cost us, but I think we'll survive which at this stage is the most important thing. I'd quite happily take 20th if you offered it to me now.


Tranmere Rovers

Nickname: Rovers
Ground: Prenton Park
Capacity: 16, 789
Manager: Ronnie Moore


KEY PLAYERS: Rovers will once again be turning to the attacking prowess of Calvin Zola, Chris Greenacre and Gareth Taylor as they front a fresh challenge for promotion. Robbie Stockdale brings a wealth of experience to the defence while Paul McLaren’s set pieces are always a danger.


TRANSFERS IN: Adnan Ahmed (Huddersfield) FREE, Anthony Kay (Barnsley) FREE, Ben Chorley (MK Dons) FREE, Danny Coyne (Burnley) FREE

TRANSFERS OUT: Danny Harrison (Rotherham) FREE, Chris McCready (Crewe) FREE, Kevin Ellison (Chester) FREE, Gavin Ward (Chester) FREE, Oliver James (Forest Green) FREE


SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS: Danny Coyne, John Achterberg

DEFENDERS: Robbie Stockdale, Carl Tremarco, Shane Sherriff, Anthony Kay, Ben Chorley, Ian Goodison, Michael Johnstone, Danny Holmes

MIDFIELD: Paul McLaren, John Mullin, Adnan Ahmed, Steven Jennings, Paul Henry, Mike Jones, Chris Shuker

FORWARDS: Calvin Zola, Chris Greenacre, Gareth Taylor, Steve Davies, Craig Curran


LAST SEASON: Tranmere missed out on the playoffs last season despite a positive start to the season that saw them as one of the main contenders for promotion early on.

Up until the end of September, Rovers were doing well but defeats to Bradford, Port Vale and Carlisle in quick succession halted their flow. They came back with four wins in a row but an up and down Christmas period held them back from an automatic promotion challenge.

Rovers never really got into a flow where they could mount a challenge and even their playoff hopes slipped away late on and defeats to fellow challengers Carlisle and Swansea gave them little hope of fulfilling their ambitions. The club ended the season with a home win over Brentford but will be looking to have more to play for come May 2008.

Cobblers sign Wolves man Jones on loan

The Cobblers have today signed wide man Daniel Jones on loan from Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers until January. Jones can play on either flank and will add pace and power to the Town attack.

The 21-year old worked with Stuart Gray at Wolves and made eight starts for the midlands club last season as they just missed out in the Championship playoffs. Jones will be given some sort of role in tomorrows Maunsell Cup game at Rushden and Diamonds.

So another new face from the book of excellent contacts that Stuart Gray has acquired and hopefully the signing will be as impressive as his loan deals last season that saw Simon Cox, Kenny Deuchar and Alex Pearce all make an impact at the club.

Rushden and Diamonds vs Northampton Town...Preview...

The Cobblers travel to Nene Park tomorrow to face local rivals Rushden and Diamonds in the Maunsell Cup Final as the pre-season comes to an end.

Stuart Gray will be looking for an improved performance from the defeats to Championship sides West Bromwich Albion and Wolves in the last two games, particularly in front of goal where we struggled to create chances against the higher opposition.

The Diamonds should be a different kettle of fish though and we’ll be expected to put in a better showing at Nene Park in the players’ final chance to impress Gray before the big kick off next Saturday against Swindon Town at Sixfields.

Chris Doig and Brett Johnson should both play a part after returning from injury while Mark Bunn returns after missing the Wolves game through compassionate leave.

Diamonds have already held The Cobblers’ League One rivals Nottingham Forest and Luton Town to pre-season draws and will be hopeful of another positive display.

The last time the sides met was in our promotion (and the Diamonds’ relegation) season as The Cobblers ran out 2-0 winners at Sixfields thanks to goals from David Hunt and Scott McGleish.

The pre-season so far:

UE San Jose 1-3 Cobblers
SD Portmany 0-5 Cobblers
Kettering Town 0-1 Cobblers
Cobblers 1-1 Coventry City
Cobblers 1-5 West Bromwich Albion
Cobblers 0-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers