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)
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)
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