What a difference a week makes. They say a week is a very long time in football and this week has proved that in the world of Northampton Town. Down and out following last Monday's cup exit to Leeds as we folded to a disastrous 5-2 defeat, confidence ahead of Hereford was at a season low. But throw in a big away win at Edgar Street and suddenly the confidence was back and flowing in the blood of the Cobblers veins last night. Leeds came with high expectations after the replay and rightly so after they rolled us over at Sixfields just eight days previous.
But this was to be a different story on a night that could yet light up the Christmas period.
Last season we were doomed by a bleak November as the only light came from a single cup win over League Two Darlington, masking a run of five league defeats in a row. This season saw ominous signs of a replay of those events as first Walsall and then Oldham took maximum points from the games with Town. Before Hereford we were looking scarily over our shoulder at the bottom four but pulled away as a battling performance earned all three points at Edgar Street. And so to last night and despite that win on Saturday there was still a massive gulf to close between ourselves and Leeds, visiting once again in midweek.
Mark Hughes was the surprise man to give way to new boy Andy Todd in defence as he dropped to the bench to perhaps give the back four a more physical look with the threat of Leeds from set plays. Giles Coke returned from injury to take his place back in midfield while Leon Constantine and Scott McGleish were again the chosen strike pairing following a good understanding built up at Hereford.
The Cobblers made the most of a quick start and came so close to opening the scoring and Ryan Gilligan was the main man in agony after his shot rocketed off the post inside the opening ten minutes. We kept Leeds down to a long range effort from Andy Robinson before getting the illusive breakthrough on eighteen minutes.
Liam Davis collected the ball on the edge of the area, slipped, and then regained his footing to coolly score past Leeds keeper David Lucas and we had the ideal start and, more importantly, the opening goal in a game where we could well have been hurt by a strike going the opposite way early on.
Jermaine Beckford, the main tormentor of the Cobblers last Monday, sprang into life towards the end of the half and forced Frank Fielding into a good stop with his legs before the striker hit the outside of the post with a rebound. But Stuart Gray's men got to the break in front and held firm until mid-way through the second half.
Andy Robinson and Luchiano Becchio fired the warning shots early in the half, with Becchio slamming the ball against the post before Davis went close again at the other end. But it was the visitors who found their way through as Robinson worked his magic again.
The midfielder, a player who seems to love playing against the Cobblers, crossed for Beckford to header home at the back post to earn a deserved equalizer on the basis of the second half.
It was starting to look like a game destined for a draw as the Cobblers were frustrated in their efforts to get back in front and Leeds could well have won it through Becchio again with ten minutes to go. But there was one last twist in the game and with three minutes to go, the goal that could turn our season majestically hit the net.
Danny Jackman lined up the corner and substitute Nicholas Bignall rose to head hoe his first professional goal. Whether he will score a more important one for us we won't know just yet but if that's his only contribution whilst on loan from Reading then we'll be happy with that!
The Cobblers hung on this time to record a magnificent result, particularly after that defeat last Monday and we are now just a point off the top half with Saturday's game in hand at home to Colchester to come.
It's been a roller coaster of a three game run with Leeds but this one could well turn out to be the most important, not just of the trio of tussles, but of the first half of this topsy-turvy 2008/09 campaign.
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