Cobblers recover to claim first league win

Northampton Town 2-1 Southend United
League Two
Saturday, September 11th 2010


The first win of the season - a mini mile stone in any teams’ season. Whether it be on the opening day or four months into the campaign, the same amount of relief can be exhaled on gaining that vital first three points. Indeed we have already seen off higher league opposition this season but to get the first win of the league campaign is a vital landmark and to do it having been behind makes it that much sweeter.

Southend United are happy just to have a club, let alone a win under their belts, but under Paul Sturrock there’s a sense that they can still deliver a promotion chasing campaign this time out. Add to that a dismal recent record against the Shrimpers and you get a tough afternoon at Sixfields – something that this definitely was.

Particularly after Anthony Grant had given the visitors a second half lead with a well taken volley did this look like another winless week for the Cobblers and it was only when Kevin Thornton replaced Paul Rodgers in midfield that we really got going.

Leon McKenzie was another to put in a fine shift on his debut and it was the former Posh man that did enough to set up Abdul Osman for the equaliser – a fifth draw in a row now getting ever nearer with Osman’s decent finish beyond Glenn Morris in the Southend goal. Game on!

The Cobblers grew in confidence and with a strong 5,700 crowd urging those three points home, Andy Holt stooped with fifteen minutes to go to nod home a Michael Jacobs corner. It was a header that Sammo himself would have been proud of and with the game there to cling on to we appeared to settle more and more. Osman hit the post from a Johnson cross but Southend had faded and threatened little in another four minutes of added time.

The first win of the season – nice isn’t it!