League leaders Swansea City visit Sixfields tomorrow looking to take a step closer to automatic promotion. The Swans are six points clear at the summit of League One and will be a stern test for the Cobblers’ playoff ambitions.
Team News
Adebayo Akinfenwa is fighting to be fit again to face his former club after a virus kept him out of the 1-1 draw at Bristol Rovers but Mark Hughes will definitely miss out. Hughes was injured for the Rovers trip but will miss the next two games through suspension anyway. A decision on Jason Crowe, who picked up a hamstring injury at Walsall last weekend, will be made at the last minute. Meanwhile Ryan Gilligan is struggling with an ankle injury while Chris Doig and Brett Johnson remain out long term.
Swansea will be without captain Garry Monk after he suffered a set back in his recovery from a recent back problem but they do welcome back defender Marcos Painter from a hamstring injury.
The Story So Far…Swansea City in 2007/08…
The Swans are sitting pretty on top of League One despite picking up just one point in two games in the previous week.
Swansea began the 2007/08 campaign with defeat at Oldham but quickly bounced back with a League Cup win over newly promoted Walsall and a good home draw with fellow promotion favourites Nottingham Forest. They saw off Walsall again, this time 3-1 in the league at the Bescott Stadium before ending August with a 1-0 home defeat to Premiership side Reading in the second round of the League Cup, Leroy Lita scoring the only goal in extra time.
September brought a mixed bag of results and started with a 2-1 home defeat to Doncaster Rovers. After beating Millwall in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, late goals from Darryl Duffy and Paul Anderson gave them a 2-1 win over Carlisle United. This score line was repeated a week later as the Swans beat Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road but a trip to Leeds ended in a 2-0 defeat. Swansea ended the month with a goalless draw at home to Brighton.
October was a superb month for the side as Roberto Martinez led his side to four straight wins to catapult them into the top six. A 2-1 home win over Swindon was followed by an incredible 5-0 success away at Leyton Orient. After seeing off Wycombe in the JPT, they won big away from home again, this time 4-1 at Bournemouth, and then claimed a 2-1 victory at Yeovil as Jason Scotland and Ferrie Bodde scored the goals.
This run of success was followed by two draws, at home to Gillingham and away at Millwall but they were soon back to winning ways. After seeing off non league Billericay in the F.A. Cup, they beat Yeovil in the JPT to progress into the area semi finals. Back in the league, there was a slight set back as Huddersfield won 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium but City responded with single goal wins at Tranmere and at home to Hartlepool United.
Two goals from Jason Scotland and one from Darren Pratley eased the Swans past the Cobblers at the start of December in perhaps our poorest performance of the season. Further heavy wins, 3-0 against Southend and 4-1 against Cheltenham was followed by a massive 3-2 success over Leeds that saw in 2007.
The New Year began with a draw at Swindon and then Havant and Waterlooville stunned City with a 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium in the F.A. Cup. Havant would go on to win the replay and set up a game at Anfield. The replay came after Swansea had kept their stunning league form going with a 3-1 victory at Luton. Successes against Port Vale, Crewe and Doncaster followed the cup exit but the run of league wins ended with a goalless draw at Forest.
It was back to winning ways at the start of February as goals from Gary McDonald and Fabian Brandy turned the game around at home to Oldham. A 2-2 draw at Crewe was follwed up with wins over Walsall and Port Vale before they were dumped out of the JPT by MK Dons. A first defeat in the league in months came at home to Millwall last Friday night and despite being seconds away from bouncing back against Tranmere on Tuesday, had to settle for a point after a late goal from Chris Greenacre earned Rovers a draw.
Recent Meetings…
04/12/08: SWANSEA 3-0 COBBLERS
A penalty from Jason Scotland is followed just three minutes later by a strike from Darren Pratley as Swansea eased to a first half lead. Scotland struck again in the second half to seal a comfortable win.
24/03/07: SWANSEA 2-1 COBBLERS
Brad Johnson hits a goal of the season contender in the first five minutes to give the Cobblers the lead but Swansea score on the stroke of half time through giant defender Dennis Lawrence. A minute after the break, the home side grabbed what turned out to be the winner as Andy Robinson scored following a quick break away.
28/10/06: COBBLERS 1-0 SWANSEA
The Cobblers finally record their first home win of the season thanks to a Luke Chambers volley in the 55th minute.
19/03/05: COBBLERS 2-2 SWANSEA
With both sides chasing promotion from League Two, Paul Connor puts the visitors in front. Goals from Martin Smith and Andy Kirk turn the game in the Cobblers’ favour but Lee Trundle rescues a point with twenty minutes to go.
07/08/04: SWANSEA 0-2 COBBLERS
In the opening game of the 2004/05 season, Scott McGleish outs us into the lead after just three minutes before an own goal from Sam Ricketts seals the perfect start to the season in our last ever visit to the Vetch Field.
24/04/04: SWANSEA 0-2 COBBLERS
A double from Eric Sabin the first half sends the Cobblers on the way to victory at the Vetch Field and proves to be a vital win in the race for the League Two playoffs.
The Man in the Middle…
Taking charge of tomorrow’s game is Jonathon Moss from Yorkshire. The whistler has already officiated in a Cobblers game this season, the 4-1 Sky Sports defeat to Luton Town back in October. Moss has refereed in all three football league divisions this season and has produced six red cards.
Head To Head…Cobblers v Swans…
GAMES PLAYED: 52
COBBLERS WINS: 23
DRAWS: 12
SWANSEA WINS: 17
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