Northampton Town 1-1 Tranmere Rovers

At this stage of the season, every point counts as they say and this single point gained from a tricky game with Tranmere Rovers could be a step, albeit a small one, towards safety. Following the crucial success last week at Cheltenham, it was frustrating to have the game at home to the Dons abandoned at half-time on Tuesday night but this was a chance to continue to pick up from the damage done by four defeats in a row prior to the win at Whaddon Road.

There was just one change from Tuesday night with Ryan Gilligan unable to recover from an injury sustained in the first half that was played against Milton Keynes. Colin Larkin replaced him in midfield with Leon Constantine alone up front once more.

It was a calmer afternoon than Tuesday’s scene of rain and wind at Sixfields and Danny Jackman had the first effort of the game on ten minutes with a free kick that curled just wide of the post. Tranmere’s first good chance came ten minutes later with Charlie Bennett finding space and hammering a shot off the post.

After a slow first half an hour, it was the visitors that seized the initiative as long time terroriser of the Cobblers, Bas Savage, connected with a right wing cross and headed Tranmere into the lead in the simplest of fashions. Before the break, Cobblers new boy Ikechi Anya replaced Alex Dyer in an attacking move by Stuart Gray. Rovers, did however, go into the break in front thanks to Savage’s goal.

It was the substitute Anya that was involved in setting up the equaliser for the Cobblers. After good work in the build up from Constantine and Colin Larkin, Anya found Andy Holt who drilled the ball home to finish off a fine move in style.

Tranmere hit back and looked the more dangerous for long periods after the Cobblers goal. Mark Hughes was close to scoring an own goal before Antony Kay shot wide of Chris Dunn’s post. Ian Moore then forced Dunn into action with a good header that Dunn did well to save. That was the final threat from Rovers and it was the Cobblers who could have snatched it late on with Constantine’s header saved at the death by visiting keeper John Achterberg.

So a point it was in the end and a one that we very much needed so that the hard work at Cheltenham didn’t go completely to waste last weekend. The point sets us up well for the trip to Millwall on Tuesday night, a game that comes before what is arguably the biggest game of the season at London Road next Saturday.