The Cobblers won their penultimate home game on Saturday with a comfortable victory over Oldham Athletic at Sixfields. The win means that we leapfrog the Latics into tenth place in the table and we now know that a win at Port Vale next week guarantees us a top half finish this season.
Stuart Gray brought Poul Hubertz back into the starting line-up for the game while Danny Jackman and Giles Coke also returned to the first eleven following their bouts of illness before the game at Southend last week.
The Cobblers began the game the brighter of the two sides and went close with two early headers. First, Andy Holt nodded the ball over the bar and then Adebayo Akinfenwa headed a Daniel Jones corner towards goal but that was cleared off the goal line by covering defender Neal Eardley.
After a quiet spell, Akinfenwa tested veteran Oldham goalkeeper Mark Crossley with a run and shot before Poul Hubertz had a header saved. Giles Coke shot wide late in the half but Oldham had no response of their own in a poor first half as they failed to get a shot on goal away.
The Cobblers began the second 45 well and had the lead just five minutes after the break. Andy Holt collected the ball after a corner and he set up Giles Coke who hit a deflected shot into the net to put us a goal to the good.
It took until just before the hour mark for Oldham to register a shot on goal as Dean Smalley shot wide of the mark. But just a few minutes later and it was the Cobblers who added to the goals.
Ryan Gilligan picked up a pass from Holt and the midfielder had his initial effort saved by Crossley but tucked home the rebound with a cool volley.
Danny Jackman and Daniel Jones both had good efforts on goal from range as we looked to add a third while at the other end Oldham finally got a shot on target as Matt Wolfenden hit a shot from distance but it was easily saved by Mark Bunn, making his 100th Cobblers appearance.
Jackman had a late shot cleared off the line but we had done enough and claimed another good home win, meaning we have now been beaten at Sixfields just once in the last fourteen home games.
Mark Bunn’s 100th game couldn’t have been a quieter one and we now travel to relegated Port Vale as we look to aim even higher in the league table.
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