The Cobblers’ playoff hopes are hanging in the balance after a draw at Cheltenham that puts us back to seven points off the top six. A goal from Giles Coke earned the draw with fifteen minutes to play but it wasn’t enough to keep up the pressure as teams above us took maximum points.
On a damp afternoon at Whaddon Road, Gabor Gyepes missed out on the starting line-up through injury whilst Poul Hubertz had to settle for a place on the bench as Jonathon Hayes started the game leaving Adebayo Akinfenwa alone up front.
After a slow start to the game, Cheltenham had a chance on fifteen minutes as David Bird hit a free kick just wide of Mark Bunn’s post. The hosts kept up the pressure and Bunn had to save well from an Ashley Vincent effort.
It took half an hour for us to get going and Akinfenwa shot over the cross bar as the Cobblers looked to get into the game. But it was Cheltenham who took the lead just a few minutes before half-time. Steven Gillespie ran at the Cobblers defence and then finished well past Bunn into the corner of the net to hand the home side the advantage.
So we had it all to do at the break but the pace was increased at the start of the second half. Akinfenwa had a glorious chance to level ten minutes into the half after good work from Hayes but shot wide when in a good position to score.
Jones went close with a free kick as the Cobblers piled more pressure on the Cheltenham but Paul Connor headed wide of goal at the other end.
The deserved equaliser was coming though and it was the simplest of goals. Daniel Jones took a corner and Giles Coke was on hand to volley the ball past Shane Higgs to set up a tense last fifteen minutes.
Substitute Damien Spencer tested Bunn with six minutes left before Cobblers sub Hubertz drove a shot against the post from an angle just a couple of minutes later. Akinfenwa had an effort saved by Higgs and Danny Jackman had his late free kick held by the home goalkeeper and the honours remained even at the end of a good second half for the Cobblers.
The result leaves us further behind the playoff pack with just five games to go and the dream is fading ahead of Luton’s visit on Saturday afternoon.
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