Season in Review 2008/09...February...

After a tough opening month of 2009, the Cobblers would also struggle in February as the dark road to relegation began at Boundary Park.

The month began exactly as January had ended, with a 2-1 defear, this time to Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park. Reuben Hazell had given the home side an eighth minute lead before the impressive Dean Windass made it two on the hour mark. Adebayo Akinfenwa pulled one back for Town but it wasn’t enough to stop a third straight defeat.

It was four losses in a row a week later as Walsall won with two late goals at Sixfields. The poor game looked set for a goalless draw until Stephen Hughes scored with seven minutes to play. Jabo Ibehre rubbed salt in the wounds with a second in stoppage time.

A re-arranged and stormy game at Brighton followed on the Tuesday night. Ryan Gilligan had given the Cobblers the lead right on the stroke of half-time with both sides in trouble at the wrong end of the table. But Tommy Elphick grabbed an equaliser in the second half before both Adebayo Akinfenwa and Brighton’s Adam Virgo were sent off after a clash on the half-way line. Both were forced out for three games, meaning that Bayo would miss the derby at Peterborough in mid-March.

After the Brighton draw we faced a big game at Cheltenham Town, also struggling at the foot of the table, at Whaddon Road. Jason Crowe’s goal right on half-time, just like Gilligan’s in the week at Brighton, gave us the lead and this time we didn’t surrender the lead and it was a good way to end a troubled month as a huge month of March loomed.