Cheltenham Town (A) Preview

The Cobblers go into another huge game at the foot of the League One table as we take on Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road on Saturday afternoon. Coming off the back of a first point in five games at Brighton on Tuesday, Town will be looking to follow up with victory in another crunch game.

Team News

Cheltenham have injury doubts over Alan Wright (calf), Michael Townsend (hamstring) and Michail Antonio (ankle). Former Cobblers loan man Nicholas Bignall could be handed a start against the club he played for earlier this season but Alex Russel looks likely to be absent as he finalises a move to Exeter City.

The Cobblers will still be missing Luke Guttridge and Liam Davis ahead of the Robins clash whilst Danny Jackman is facing a late fitness test. Goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler has returned to Manchester United whilst Billy Clarke is back at Ipswich so Chris Dunn should start in goal with Colin Larkin returning to the starting line-up.

Last Time Out: Northampton Town 4-2 Cheltenham Town (09/08/08)

On the opening day of this season, Gabor Gyepes' own goal gives Cheltenham the lead. But a Chris Doig strike levels the scores at half time and Adebayo Akinfenwa scores two penalties in the second half to give The Cobblers a 3-1 lead. At the other end, Michael Townsend scored from the spot for Cheltenham but Leon Constantine wraps the game up with a debut goal late on.

Previous Meetings...

29/03/08: CHELTENHAM 1-1 COBBLERS

Steven Gillespie fires Cheltenham in front in the first half but Giles Coke volleys home in the second half to give us a share of the spoils.

20/10/07: COBBLERS 2-1 CHELTENHAM

Andy Kirk gives the Cobblers the lead but Damian Spencer equalises five minutes into the second half. With ten minutes to go, Ryan Gilligan scores to win it.

26/12/06: COBBLERS 2-0 CHELTENHAM

A double from Scott McGleish gives us a comfortable home win on boxing day.

26/09/06: CHELTENHAM 0-2 COBBLERS

Goals from Andy Kirk and Scott McGleish seal our first ever win at Whaddon Road.

11/02/06: CHELTENHAM 3-1 COBBLERS

The Cobblers are well beaten at Whaddon Road as Steve Guinan, Kayode Odejayi and John Melligan score. Scott McGleish gets a late consolation.

Head to Head...Robins v Cobblers...

Games Played 15

Cheltenham Wins: 6

Draws: 3

Cobblers Wins: 7

Bayo appeal turns into extra game ban

The Cobblers will be without Adebayo Akinfenwa for a further game after his red card during the Brighton game was unsuccessfully appealed yesterday. The big man was sent off alongside Albion's Adam Virgo in the second half of the 1-1 draw at the Withdean Stadium on Tuesday night and the club had appealed against it.

But the FA have seen no grounds for an appeal and have instead extended the ban by a further game, meaning that Bayo will also miss the game at Millwall on March 10th.

Zieler returns to Old Trafford

Goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler has returned to Manchester United after his loan spell came to an end. Zieler has recently made his first two appearances for the Cobblers' first team but has now been at Sixfields for the maximum 93 days allowed outside of the transfer window.

Chris Dunn is expected to return to goal when the Cobblers travel to Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

Cobblers to appeal Bayo red card...

The Cobblers will appeal against Adebayo Akinfenwa's sending off in last night's 1-1 draw at Brighton. The big front man is set to serve a three game ban for an off the ball incident that also saw Brighton defender Adam Virgo given his marching orders.

The club expect to find out the results of the appeal on Thursday.

Brighton and Hove Albion 1-1 Northampton Town

After a run of defeats, a draw at Brighton can be seen as a slight step forward for the Cobblers as last night we survived a late surge from the home side to avoid a fifth loss in succession. It could have been better after Ryan Gilligan’s goal on the stroke of half-time but it could also have been so much worse.

In front of a lowly 93 Cobblers fans set back further from the pitch than the seagulls, it was always going to be a scrappy affair between two struggling sides.

Alex Dyer, having kept his place in midfield following a good performance at the weekend, had the first real effort on goal after collecting the ball from an Andy Holt knock down but his shot was saved by Michael Kuipers in the Albion goal.

The home side registered their first attempt of the evening just past the quarter hour mark as Nicky Forster headed into the arms of Ron-Robert Zieler. At the other end, Abdul Osman scrambled the ball towards goal after a Mark Hughes free kick but the ball was cleared at the last by a covering defender.

Zieler was called into action again with ten minutes of the half to play as Dean Cox sent in a good effort that the German keeper did well to push away. Adebayo Akinfenwa then forced Kuipers into a good save but it looked like the half would end goalless until Ryan Gilligan had other ideas. The midfielder collected a knock down and smartly finished past Kuipers to give the Cobblers a half-time lead.

We started the second half as we’d ended the first and Akinfenwa was close to adding a second as he sent in a good effort that Kuipers saved well. After that, the game died down and we couldn’t find that elusive second goal, something that we would live to regret as Albion drew level just before the hour.

Dean Cox swung in a corner and Tommy Elphick was on hand to head the ball home and, frustratingly for Stuart Gray, hand the home side an equaliser.

Five minutes later, both Adebayo Akinfenwa and Adam Virgo, one man from each side, were involved in an off the ball incident and were sent off as tempers began to flare.

Chris Doig was also in trouble after he picked up his fifth booking of the season and he will now serve an unwelcome one game ban.

Albion had the best of the final exchanges as Craig Davies hit the crossbar with a header before the same player broke clear in stoppage time, going one on one with Zieler but shot wide to the relief of the Cobblers fans.

So a point it was and with Swindon below us losing, we remain two points off the bottom four with another crunch game at Cheltenham to come on Saturday. A much needed victory would hand us some real breathing space as the season enters its final knockings.

Is the Withdean a good place to hit back...?

The Cobblers travel to Brighton this evening and despite for successive defeats, the Withdean could be the ideal place to get back on track. In recent weeks we’ve suffered defeats to Colchester, Leicester, Oldham and Walsall and no-one with a Cobblers interest would put money on a win this evening to stop the rot.

But could the Withdean be the best place for such a game, in which defeat could be another massive dent in our season? With barely 50 Town fans expected to make the trip and a nervous and depleted home crowd, the pressure cooker atmosphere of previous weeks will be gone and the openness of the ground will make for a less intense playing arena.

So this could play into our hands as the perfect place to get back on course for League One survival. Changes are aplenty at Albion with Mickey Adams now gone and a search for a new manager brings its own disruptions. Now it’s down to us to take advantage or face a difficult trip to bottom club Cheltenham on Saturday in deeper trouble than we already are.

Brighton and Hove Albion (A) Preview...

After for defeats in a row, Stuart Gray takes his side to fellow strugglers Brighton tonight in a rearranged fixture that could have massive implications on the rest of the season. Albion sit just two points behind the Cobblers and defeat for Town tonight could see us drop into the bottom four for the first time this season.


Team News

Brighton welcome back former Cobblers target Craig Davies to their attack after he recovered from a virus but Calvin Andrew, Glenn Murray and Kerry Mayo are all missing through injury. David Livermore also sits out of the game through suspension.


The Cobblers will run late fitness tests on Danny Jackman and Giles Coke before the game but Liam Davis should still be a definite absentee from the squad. Ron-Robert Zieler is expected to keep his place in goal after he made his first start in the 2-0home defeat by Walsall at the weekend.


Form

Brighton disposed of the services of manager Mickey Adams before last week’s game at Millwall but then went on to win the game with a solitary header from Adam Virgo winning the game at the Den.


The Cobblers were beaten by Walsall on Saturday afternoon as Stephen Hughes and Jabo Ibehre goals stole the points for the visitors late in the day.


Last Time Out…27/09/08: COBBLERS 2-2 BRIGHTON


Glenn Murray gave Brighton a half time lead at Sixfields in the sides’ last meeting. Adebayo Akinfenwa struck back but Murray scored again in the 90th minute and thought he had won it. But the Cobblers went to the other end of the pitch and grabbed a late, late equaliser through Akinfenwa to grab a point.


Previous Meetings…


02/09/08: COBBLERS 0-1 BRIGHTON (JPT Round One)

Kevin McLeod’s long range effort was enough to seal a dour Johnstone’s Paint Trophy game earlier this month at Sixfields.

29/01/08: COBBLERS 1-0 BRIGHTON

Mark Hughes scores the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time as the Cobblers end the first month of 2008 on a high.

18/08/07: BRIGHTON 2-1 COBBLERS

In our first away game of last season, Dean Hammond scores a second minute penalty at the Withdean Stadium. Andy Kirk deservedly gets us back on terms and we look the better side until poor decisions from referee Mike Thorpe winds up the players and loses their focus. Brighton inevitably take home the points as Alex Revell scores in the second half.

31/03/07: COBBLERS 0-2 BRIGHTON

The moonwalking Bas Savage hits a quick-fire double in the second half to steer his side to an impressive away day win.

21/10/06: BRIGHTON 1-1 COBBLERS

Jake Robinson’s goal five minutes before the break looks to have won it for the home side but a quickly taken throw in late on confuses the Brighton back line and James Quinn sneaks in for an equaliser and his only ever goal for the club.


Head to Head…Albion v Cobblers…


Games Played: 122


Brighton Wins: 38


Draws: 16



Cobblers Wins: 52

Northampton Town 1-2 Walsall

If three defeats in a row and an ever faltering league positioning before this game was worrying then this evening all Cobblers fans will be sitting nervously anticipating an end of season that could bring the ultimate disaster. Another defeat, this time at home to Walsall, took us to within two points of the bottom four with one of the teams chasing us, Brighton, to play at the Withdean on Tuesday night.

Stuart Gray promised changes to his side after the defeats that preceded this one and Ron-Robert Zeiler took Chris Dunn’s place in goal for his first start in a Cobblers shirt. Ryan Gilligan came in for Abdul Osman in midfield while Paul Rodgers was rested as Alex Dyer made a rare start in midfield.

Walsall made their intentions clear from the off and began the game the better side. In their first effort on goal, Sofiene Zaaboub shot over the bar. That sparked the Cobblers enough to create their first real chance of the game as Andy Holt’s long throw was headed wide by Mark Hughes. Alex Dyer did well to create a chance for Billy Clarke moments later but Clayton Ince in the Walsall goal did well to beat the ball away.

The Cobblers could so easily have gone in a goal up at the break, something that could well have impacted the game enough to turn it in our favour instead of the visitors’. Danny Jackman’s corner caused problems and both Clarke and Adebayo Akinfenwa had chances in a scramble in the visitors’ penalty area.

After a promising end to the first half, all seemed to fall apart after half-time with chances few and far between and it would take a break away from Walsall to eventually settle this game. Substitute Colin Larkin, a mid-half replacement for Clarke, had one of our only efforts on goal by shooting into the side netting and we should perhaps have seen it coming as the time wore on.

Inevitably, Walsall went on to take the lead with seven minutes left on the clock. Stephen Hughes picked up a fine ball from veteran striker Michael Ricketts and beat the offside trap to finish well past Zeiler and shoot another bullet into the heart of the Cobblers’ season. As we tried in vain to get back into the game, gaps appeared at the back and The Saddlers found space to finish us off in stoppage time. Substitute Jabo Ibehre broke clear of the Town defence to end the game as a contest and Sixfields spilled out with not a lot of the 4,000 home fans left in the ground as the game came to an end.

Worse news was to follow as the scores came through to tell us that the three teams below us won and we were now just two points clear of the bottom four. Worryingly we take on Brighton on Tuesday night and with a poor record at the Withdean, concern would be an understatement as the season enters a vital stage.

Players need to start fighting, start caring and start playing like they want to be in a Cobblers shirt again next season. Because the fact of the matter is that we’re now well and truly in a relegation battle.

Walsall (H) Preview...

The Cobblers entertain Walsall tomorrow afternoon looking to stop a rot of three straight league defeats. The Saddlers were 3-1 winners in the game at the Bescot Stadium earlier in the season and it will be another tough test for Stuart Gray’s side.

Team News

Walsall will be missing Stephen Roberts who has a back problem whilst Rhys Weston who picked up a calf injury during last weekend’s 2-0 home win over Colchester. Loan striker Sam Williams has returned to parent club Aston Villa after picking up an injury.

The Cobblers are without Ryan Gilligan, Liam Davis and Luke Guttridge for the game but Stuart Gray has said that changes will be made after last weekend’s defeat at Oldham.

Form

The Cobblers have suffered defeat in their last three league games, all by a 2-1 scoreline against Colchester, Leicester and Oldham, the latest coming last weekend as Dean Windass scored the crucial goal to put us within five points of the League One drop zone.

Walsall saw off Colchester United last weekend with Michael Ricketts and Troy Deeney scoring the goals that kept them in the top half of the League One table.


Last Time Out…WALSALL 3-1 COBBLERS

Chris Palmer, Anthony Gerrard and Troy Deeney score the goals that help the Saddlers ease past Town in November of last year. Leon Constantine scored with twenty minutes to go but it wasn’t enough to save us from defeat.


Head to Head…Saddlers v Cobblers…


Games Played: 75


Walsall Wins: 30


Draws: 15


Cobblers Wins: 30

The "R" word simply not an option

With The Cobblers slipping nervously close to the League One bottom four after three straight defeats and last night's results, some say the relegation wouldn't be such a bad thing. Would gates increase in League Two with a promotion bid, would we attract better players in a promotion battle rather than a League One basement struggle? The answer is simple, in my humble opinion.

Relegation should NEVER be seen as a good thing. Who in their right mind could think so with our finances as dodgy as they are already? I said it a few weeks ago, we must focus on staying in League One to have any stability in the next couple of seasons.

Northampton Town isn't that attractive a propostion for players to come to in League One, let alone in League Two and who says we'd even be at the top of the table and pushing for promotion if were to go down?

It's tough times at the moment but we must do one thing...

Keep the faith!

Scunthorpe game switched...

Scunthorpe United's trip to Sixfields, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4th, will now be played on Tuesday, April 21st. United will be at Wembley on the weekend originally planned for the game after they saw off Rotherham United over two legs to reach the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.

That means that the game between the Cobblers and Scunthorpe will be moved back. The sides were involved in an eight goal thriller earlier in the season with the Cobblers coming from 4-1 down to claim an unlikely draw at Glanford Park.

Oldham Athletic 2-1 Northampton Town

The Cobblers have never had a good record at Boundary Park and until last season it looked like a ground where we would always worry about visiting. That was until loan man Alex Russell powered home a long range effort last Autumn and ended a barren run at Oldham’s home. But this season’s Latics are a different breed. Experienced heads in Lee Hughes and Dean Windass lead the front line and experience is the key to their position in the upper echelons of League One.

Stuart Gray, however, now faces a different story. Whereas last season’s February brought a sense of hope of an outside playoff hope, this season’s brings us to a point of looking down the table rather than up it. Just five points now separate us from the bottom four and a hectic fixture list won’t work in our favour with a threadbare squad.

So what to take from defeat at Oldham, given to the home side by one of those old heads Windass who nodded in what turned out to be the winner in the second half? Defensive lapses from set plays once again caused the Cobblers’ downfall and just eight minutes into the game Reuben Hazell headed home a free kick to give Oldham the lead that would not be sacrificed.

Adebayo Akinfenwa, returning to the squad from injury, had a shot deflected wide five minutes later but that was to be our best effort of a poor first half following the opening goal. At the other end, Deane Smalley thought he was about to add to the tally for the home side but Mark Hughes came up with a superb block at the last to at least preserve the Cobblers until the break.

It was in the second half that Dean Windass really made his mark. The striker can do no wrong at the moment after last week’s heroics at Leicester where he played for 40 minutes in goal and kept a clean sheet. The man who fired Hull into the Premier League last season is really making his mark on League One and influenced the majority of Oldham’s best moves, chipping over the bar ten minutes into the half before having a header cleared off the line.

But he wasn’t to be kept at bay for long and looked to have won the game on the hour mark with a header from a corner, frustratingly for Stuart Gray another set piece not dealt with.

From out of nowhere, the Cobblers were right back in the game within seven minutes as Andy Holt delivered a good cross from the left hand side for Adebayo Akinfenwa to head home past Jan Budtz in the Oldham goal and suddenly the comfort of the home fans turned a little to unease.

With a quarter of the game to go, we hoped for pressure on the home side’s goal, prayed for a second wind to come from Bayo’s goal, but sadly it didn’t come and neither side registered another decent attempt on goal in the closing stages.

So Stuart Gray now has to pick us up from three successive league defeats and just five points from the last 24 available. Whether it’s new loan signings coming in, a change of approach or getting a settled squad together, something is needed to relight the season before we get dragged into an entirely dangerous relegation scrap.

Oldham Athletic (A) Preview

The Cobblers face their first game in two weeks with the trip to Oldham tomorrow and Stuart Gray will be hoping his troops can avenge a 1-0 defeat earlier in the season at Sixfields.

Team News

Oldham could hand a debut to new loan signing Seb Hines after the defender joined from Middlesbrough this week. Goalkeeper Greg Fleming faces a suspension after being sent off at Leciester last week.

The Cobblers are without Liam Davis, who has had a hernia operation and faces a couple of weeks out, and Luke Guttridge, who pulled up in training this week. Otherwise, the injury to Adebayo Akinfenwa has healed and the front man should play alongside Billy Clarke up front.

Form

Oldham somehow came away from top club Leicester with a 0-0 draw last weekend despite having their goalkeeper Greg Fleming sent off after 50 minutes. There was no substitute stopper on the bench for the Latics so veteran Dean Windass took the gloves and kept a clean sheet to save a point.

The Cobblers’ last game was two weeks ago when Leicester took home all three points from Sixfields. Steve Howard and Lloyd Dyer turned the game around after Leon Constantine’s early goal. Since then the games at home to Swindon and away at Yeovil have both been postponed.

Recent Meetings

15/11/08: COBBLERS 0-1 OLDHAM
Andy Liddell scores the only goal of the game from the penalty spot back in November as an impressive Oldham take the points.

19/04/08: COBBLERS 2-0 OLDHAM

Late in last season, the Cobblers come out on top as second half goals from Giles Coke and Ryan Gilligan secure the victory at Sixfields.

27/10/07: OLDHAM 0-1 COBBLERS

A long range effort from on loan Bristol City midfielder Alex Russell condemns Oldham to a home defeat at Boundary Park but the Cobblers then go on a run of seven games without a win as the winter kicked in.

28/01/07: COBBLERS 2-3 OLDHAM

Ritchie Wellens gives Oldham a second minute lead before Andy Kirk hits back mid-way through the half. But goals from Paul Warne and Chris Porter put the visitors three up. A Jordan Robertson goal two minutes from time isn’t enough for the Cobblers to avoid defeat.

23/12/06: OLDHAM 3-0 COBBLERS

Ian Sampson’s first game in charge is a heavy defeat last Christmas as Oldham score three without reply.

22/03/03: COBBLERS 0-2 OLDHAM

Wayne Andrews’ double condemns the Cobblers to defeat at Sixfields.


Head to head…Latics v Cobblers…

Games Played: 31

Oldham Wins: 13

Draws: 7

Cobblers Wins: 11

Dyer pens new Cobblers deal

Midfielder Alex Dyer has signed a new contract with the Cobblers, keeping him at Sixfields until until June 2010. Dyer, who has made fourteen appearances in the first team so far, was set to be out of contract in the summer but has extended his deal to remain at the club.

Many of the club's big name players are also out of contract in the summer including the likes of Jason Crowe and Adebayo Akinfenwa and Stuart Gray will be hopeful that they too will stay with the club rather than leave on a free transfer.

Yeovil game re-arranged

The Cobblers will be facing a tough schedule of 15 games in 57 days after today's news that the game at Yeovil will be rearranged for Tuesday, March 31st. The original game was postponed at the weekend because of safety fears at Huish Park and the clubs will now meet on the final day of March.

Stuart Gray will be pushed for squad numbers going into the busy schedule and loan signings will surely be made this week once the window opens again.

Gray takes his side to Oldham on Saturday in what will be their first game for two weeks since the 2-1 home defeat by Leicester City.

League One programme affected by weather...

Yeovil wasn't the only place to feel the effects of the snow today as a whole host of League One games were postponed. Only the games at Hartlepool, Leicester and Tranmere remain on this afternoon with all other games in the league called off.

Adverse weather conditions had already made it impossible for most of the midweek programme of fixtures to go ahead and it's the same story this afternoon.

Postponed Games in League One:

Bristol Rovers v Huddersfield,
Colchester v Stockport
Hereford v Brighton,
Peterborough v Carlisle
Scunthorpe v Cheltenham
Swindon v Southend
Yeovil v Northampton

Yeovil Town P-P Northampton Town

The Cobblers' League One game at Yeovil Town due to take place today has been postponed due to safety risks in and around the Huish Park area. Stuart Gray's side were due to travel to Somerset today but after a pitch and ground inspection today the game was called off.

No new datehas yet been set for the game and we now look set to have a backlog of fixtures with last Tuesday's game at home to Swindon Town also postponed due to bad weather.

Swindon game re-arranged for late March

The Cobblers' home game with Swindon Town has been re-arranged for Tuesday, March 24th with a 7:45pm kick off. The initial game was called off this week due to hazardous conditions around the Sixfields area making it unsafe for supporters.

But the game has been re-arranged and all tickets for the initial game are valid for the second game. Supporters are also reminded that, as planned for the original game, season ticket holders can bring a friend to the game for just £10 (adults/seniors) and £5 juniors.

Trip to Yeovil under threat by weather

Heavy snow around the area means that Saturday's trip to Yeovil Town may be in doubt. The Cobblers have already had to postpone the home game with Swindon Town this week and could face another cancellation if the weather situation worsens before the weekend.

Yeovil officials are keeping an eye on things and will hopefully be making an earlier pitch inspection than Brighton did in early January when many Cobblers fans were in the area before the inspection went ahead.

Cobblers v Swindon...MATCH OFF

The Cobblers' home game with Swindon Town has been called off after an 11am inspection at Sixfields. The playing surface was deemed playable but the game was postponed due to safety concerns with ice and snow surrounding the area of the ground.

No new date has been set for the rearranged game as yet.

Transfer Window set to shut

The Cobblers will be looking to bring in one or two new faces into the squad today as the transfer deadline comes around at 5pm when the windown officially shuts.

Kyle Walker and Mark Little are among the names being banded about for possible loan moves back to Sixfields but Stuart Gray has said that no new bids have come in for any of his players as the deadline looms.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zeiler has extended his loan spell att he club for a further month.