Transfer window update

The window slams shut this evening at 11pm sharp and while the premier League goes mad with talk of Torres, Carroll and the like, League Two is busy itself with the usual last minute free transfers and loans. Below is the updated list of transfers so far today:

Winger Simon Hackney has joined Oxford to bolster their attacking options. He arrives on a loan deal until the end of the season. Matt Green has exited the Kassam, meanwhile, also on loan for the season, to Cheltenham.

Lincoln have now joined in the fun and games by extending the loan deal of Gavin Hoyte from Arsenal until the end of the season and adding Scott Spencer to their squad after his release from Southend last week. Spencer was closely followed in the door by Ali Fuseini, formerly of Millwall.

News now coming in that Rotherham have rejected a bid from League One Huddersfield for Adam Le Fondre.

In a later deal, Craig Read left Newport County for Stevenage Borough. Read scored 24goals fro County in the Blue Square South last season and has followed it up with 18 in the Conference this time around. Going the other way are Charlie Griffin and Yemi Odubade in loan deals.

Elliot Benyon left Torquay to move to League One Swindon Town whilst Nicky Wroe also departed Plaimoor for Shrewsbury with Jake Robinson joining the Gulls.

Shrewsbury were busy in the last few hours of the window as they brought in Wolves midfielder David Davis, Wigan keeper Lee Nicholls and West Brom defender Paul Downing on one month loan deals.

Scott Dobie has signed for Bradford from St Johnstone until the end of the season whilst Hereford have snapped up Harry Pell from Bristol Rovers and Rob Purdie on an extended loan deal from Oldham.

Cheering on the rivals…plus League Two review...

Finally seated in a good position next to a Soccer Saturday screen in the pub yesterday following a tough task to find a good spot (being in Southampton just before their FA Cup tie with Man United, it was always going to be a tough ask!) I surprised myself by feeling loyalty to the Football League’s bottom tier. It was strange that the teams that I hope all lose to each other every week had become my adopted sides in the competition and with no game for the Cobblers it put the focus a lot more on what was happening elsewhere.

I’m usually caught up of a Saturday watching the scores roll in about whatever we’re up to, the implications of certain results to us and what would happen if, say, we equalised, conceded scored a winner in the next few minutes. So it was a change of tack this time as we celebrated Jamie’s birthday back on one of our old student haunts as the rivals became, for one day only of course, the hopes for a League Two side in the FA Cup Fifth Round.

It wasn’t to be though and as Hereford, Stevenage, Burton (though Zola did get a debut goal) and Torquay were put to the sword. I felt, particularly, for Torquay who in the midst of national celebration that a “small non league team” had reached the fifth round, ending United’s own hopes of a first appearance in that round in their history.

There’s clearly a lot of hype around Crawley at the moment but when you look deeper then the current league they’re in you see that they’ve spent over £500,000 in building the current squad….more than League Two combined! The fact that their manager is Steve Evans also grates. A man who has been sent from the dugout endless times, been suspended for years and even been escorted from a ground at half-time to me isn’t the right man to head up what looks like being a bankroll to the Football League. The club will always be in the firing line when they do make it up here and the manager certainly won’t help them to make friends.

In any event, League Two’s fixture list will now be full again on FA Cup weekend and yesterday there was a scattering of results that saw a couple of big movements up and down the table.

Chesterfield could only extend their lead at the top by one point but a last minute equaliser against Bradford in an entertaining 2-2 draw will come more of a relief than anything to the Spireites. Bradford were on the brink of a massive result in terms of their recent form but a stoppage time goal from Jordan Bowery was to deny them.

Stockport’s goal difference fell to a massive minus 35 as they stay rock bottom thanks to a 4-0 reverse at Rotherham. The Millers had a brace from Ryan Taylor to thanks for helping them back into the top three at the expense of Crewe whose game with Accrington was called off due to a frozen pitch.

Ryan Lowe scored the only goal on Friday night as Bury overtook Shrewsbury by beating them at Gigg Lane – The Shakers now up to fifth. Port Vale’s poor run continues as they went down 1-0 at Lincoln. Loan striker Ashley Grimes netted the only goal of the game to condemn Vale to a fourth game without winning. That’s also a third game in a row in which the early league pace setters didn’t score. That win took Lincoln above Macclesfield who also fell victim to the weather at Morecambe.

Gillingham got back to winning ways with Cody Macdonald again on the score sheet with a brace against Aldershot in a 2-1 home win while Oxford and Cheltenham shared the spoils at the Kassam Stadium, the game ending 1-1. Meanwhile, Barnet missed a chance to escape the bottom two as goals from Anthony Grant and Barry Corr earned Southend all three points at Underhill.

Walker re-signs!

The Cobblers have brought midfielder Josh Walker back to the club on a loan deal until the end of the season from his new club Watford. Walker was with us last season for a very brief spell but injury put an end to his initial spell here. The 21-year-old had worked with Malcolm Crosby at his club back then, Middlesbrough, but joined League Two rivals Rotherham towards the back end of last season and helped them to the playoffs with three goals in fifteen games.

Walker joined Watford on a free transfer in the summer but has seen his appearances limited to substitute roles and was loaned out to Stevenage a few months back, playing against the Cobblers in our 1-0 win at Broadhall Way.

But he’s now a Cobbler once again and we’ll hope to see more of him this time around, starting with Tuesday night’s game with Crewe at Sixfields.

Weekend Preview...

This weekend sees the Cobblers get a brief respite from action with Burton, our scheduled opponents, playing in the FA Cup instead. Shaun Harrad, the scorer in the last round for the Brewers as they overcame Middlesbrough, now awaits his debut on Tuesday night as Crewe visit Sixfields.

The Alex are in action against Accrington Stanley on Saturday and having moved into the top three in the week with a 2-1 win over Bradford and will be favourites to continue their fine form against a Stanley side that hasn’t seen action since January 18th due to the game with Hereford falling victim to a frozen pitch.

Crewe boss Steve Davis has this week told his reserve strikers to step up to plate with Clyton Donaldson serving a suspension after seeing red on Tuesday night. The likes of AJ Leitch-Smith, Jordan Connerton and 16-year-old Nick Powell are battling for a place in the starting line-up to partner Shaun Miller up front. Donaldson will still be serving his ban when the Railway Men travel to Sixfields on Tuesday night.

That game is looking likely to be Harrad’s debut and Leon McKenzie has been wrapped in cotton wool, figuratively I think, this week by the Cobblers as he looks to begin a partnership with our newest recruit. McKenzie has hit seven goals in eleven games for Town since signing and it shows that when he does play he’s a real difference maker (we won’t mention Hereford!).

So as we sit and watch this weekend, let’s have a look at what else is going on in the world of League Two:

Bury meet Shrewsbury this evening, the second week in a row that the Shakers have played on a Friday night following last week’s 1-1 draw at Southend. The Shrews’ promotion hopes were dented by Oxford on Tuesday night and this one could be a belting clash between the sides in eighth and sixth respectively.

On Saturday, Chesterfield will be favourites to keep up the form that’s taken them five points clear the top of the table when they host struggling Bradford. Peter Taylor said after Tuesday night’s loss at Crewe that he now fears relegation for his pre-season promotion favourites and they need points fast. Second placed Wycombe don’t play so Crewe can close the gap should they win the aforementioned game with Accrington. Two out of form sides meet as Rotherham welcome rock bottom Stockport to the Don Valley Stadium with both sides desperate for points for completely different reasons. County fell to the foot of League Two after the midweek results for Hereford and Lincoln while the Millers were hammered at Stevenage.

Oxford host Cheltenham at the Kassam and after picking themselves up from last week’s defeat at Sixfields with three points on Tuesday they were catapulted into the playoff positions, a place that Cheltenham themselves are aiming at. Port Vale are the visitors to Sincil Bank as Lincoln attempt to put more distance between themselves and the bottom two while Barnet try to chase them down against Southend.

Gillingham were knocked out of the top seven in the week but a defeat to Chesterfield will have been seen as a minor blip and they can get back on track with a home game against Aldershot handing them a good chance of returning to winning ways. Meanwhile, Morecambe and Macclesfield try to drag themselves up out of any possible relegation scrap at Christie Park.

League Two midweek!

It was a pretty good night in the end last night with a lot of the sides above the Cobblers dropping more points and leaving us just seven points below the playoffs despite being in sixteenth place.

Defeats for Cheltenham and Gillingham allowed Oxford to sneak into the top seven with a fine home win over Shrewsbury while a draw for Port Vale with Barnet enabled Crewe to steer themselves into the automatic promotion places with a 2-1 win over Bradford. Bantams manager Peter Taylor has said that he now fears relegation after a defeat that left his side two points above the drop zone.

Chesterfield stretched their lead at the top to six points by winning at Gillingham with Dean Smalley bagging a brace. Stockport are now bottom of the pile with Lincoln's victory at Cheltenham couple with Hereford's 2-1 home win over Morecambe.

Southend gained a huge 4-1 home win over Macclesfield with all four of their goals coming in the first half.

The FA responds...

Here's a reply received from the FA over the playoffs...still doesn't explain a lot in terms of how late we were told. It appears the Championship still get their final after the Champions League final but it still begs the question of why we couldn't just rearrange ours for the week after / shorten the season?!

The Champions League comes across here as, again, more important to the FA then their own playoff finals and it's this that's made me the most annoyed. Anyway, below is their reply:



Thank you for contacting The Football Association.

For one season only, the League 1 & 2 Play-Off Finals will be held at Old Trafford. As host venue, Wembley Stadium must ensure that no other event shall take place at the venue for two weeks prior to the date of the final. This is a condition of the staging agreement with UEFA.‪ ‪ This is a fairly unique challenge as it is not every year that that you get to host the Champions League Final.‪

Thank you again for taking the time to write. Whilst I appreciate this may not alleviate your concerns, I trust this clarifies our position.

League Two plays catch up...

Tonight sees a lot of the League Two sides catch up on the Cobblers when a whole clutch of games in hand should see a more balanced table by the end of the evening.

The big game of the night sees leaders Chesterfield travel to Gillingham who will jump into the playoff places with a victory. Port Vale are on a poor run of form and following a 1-0 home reverse against Cheltenham Town at the weekend they come up against Barnet who are three games unbeaten following a 1-1 draw at Macclesfield on Saturday.

Crewe’s fine form was brought to a halt on Saturday as they went down 3-2 at Aldershot but will be favourites to get back to winning ways this evening as they host Bradford, who have lost their last three games. The Railwaymen are appealing the red card shown to goalkeeper Rhys Taylor in stoppage time in that game after the young stopper gave away the free kick that led to Aldershot’s winner but if that fails Steve Phillips is likely to step in.

Elsewhere, Rotherham, beaten at fellow high flyers Wycombe on Saturday, travel to Stevenage. Borough should hand a start to Luke Daley after he joined on loan from Norwich whilst Ronnie Moore will have Jason Taylor available whilst they appeal his red card from the Wycombe encounter. It’s a big game in hand for the Millers who can close the gap from five to two points with a win.

Hereford play one of their four games in hand on Stockport this evening and will go above the Hatters with victory over Morecambe. Lincoln can also jump off the foot of the table and above County if they beat Cheltenham at Whaddon Road.

Meanwhile, Oxford host Shrewsbury with the Shrews hoping to take advantage of any slips from Rotherham and Southend play Macclesfield at Roots Hall.

Football League's word on the playoffs

So here's the reply I got from the Football League...they apparently "can't give any more information at this time" than this...The FA will, I'm sure, respond by next November...


Danny,

Thanks for your email regarding the play-offs. The Football League remains committed to using Wembley Stadium as its first choice venue for the Play-Off finals going forward, however an FA decision to stage the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday 28th May meant an alternative solution had to be found for this season.

Having liaised for some time to negotiate the best possible agreement for The League and its member clubs, a mutually agreed settlement was made to use Old Trafford for both the League 1 and League 2 finals.

Unfortunately we cannot provide any further information at this time.

Wembley takes the cash and sends finals up north

I’m just hearing of the news to stage the 2011 Leagues One and Two Playoff Finals at Old Trafford rather than Wembley. So once again the lower reaches of the league are being treated as if we’re an afterthought, something to make way should a bigger fish, in this case a bigger game, come along.

In this case it’s the Champions League Final, being held on the same day as the League Two final, that’s causing the change of venue. The FA have acted to move the Leagues One and Two finals to Old Trafford but I don’t see this as too much of an appease. Of course I would love to visit the home of Manchester United, not many of us league fans wouldn’t but for the finals to be switched from Wembley, the home of the playoffs and the home of many a memory for smaller teams stinks of the FA grabbing the money for the Champions League and fobbing off what they consider lesser games to Manchester.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with the Champions League final being held at our national stadium. What I don’t understand is why they couldn’t have thought things through in the instant that they knew the game would be played there. What it feels like now is that they’ve suddenly remembered that they have these end of season games to think about as well. These games aren’t just showpieces to us though. They’re the culmination of 46 games of hard graft, travelling around the country on cold Tuesdays in Yeovil and Hereford and trying so damn hard to stay in business by elevating yourselves to the next level.

I’m trying not to sound like the kid who got picked last in P.E. but another sticking point to me is that the Championship does get their final at Wembley simply because the date doesn’t clash. But is it as simple as that or does the FA believe this to be unmoveable because of the importance of this fixture. Those higher in the game won’t get this but the finals in Leagues One and Two are funnily enough just as important as the Championship showpiece, if not more important. My happiest memory watching football was of course John Frain’s last second effort in 1997 for the Cobblers but so many fans, players and managers have their own images etched into their minds of moments under the lights at Wembley that they would never have been half as magical had they not come in the same venue.

These people are not good enough to play for England, will never reach the spotlight there in that respect. It’s their chance to be immortalised, a dream come true. When the games were moved to Cardiff we could accept it, knowing that there was no other option and thankful to have another fine showpiece stadium to play at. Old Trafford is a club ground, a club atmosphere and some of the Football League fans will be sitting in seats painted with “United” in white lettering. This isn’t right to me.

So what other option do they have? Simple. When you know that you’re staging a huge European final, then is the time to change your other games. Change the fixture list, add a couple of extra midweek games, start the season earlier and bring the games forward a week. Don’t wait until January to announce that all that hard work won’t, in fact, get you to Wembley after all.

I’m sorry for sounding so bitter and ungrateful for a decision like this but it feels like League One and League Two are becoming more and more like the easiest things to mess around with in comparison.

I hope I’m not the only one who feels this hard done by with this…we appear to be the forgotten leagues once again.

Old guard set the standard as Town edge Oxford

Northampton Town 2-1 Oxford United
League Two
Saturday, January 22nd 2011

With all the hype this week about the signing of Shaun Harrad it would have been a fair disappointment for those who bought tickets based on the new influx of life into our attack to see no mention of the former Burton man on the team sheet this afternoon. The news that Harrad needed a minor mouth operation wasn’t mentioned in the build up but the fact that we have a week off next weekend means that it makes sense to do it now rather than later in the season. In any event, it was the old guard that saw us through this one in a battling display that saw the gap on the playoffs (hey, a man can but dream!) close to six points.

Andy Holt, Mr reliable himself, scored one and assisted in the other as Sammo’s men fought hard against a visiting side that were looking to extend an excellent recent run of form. Indeed it looked as though we might have to settle for a point once Tom Craddock had fired Oxford level just after half time with a neat lift over Chris Dunn following a rebound. Holt had given Town the lead just before the break in simple fashion with a header from a Michael Jacobs corner but the leveller made us work hard for a vital three points.

But with a quarter of the game to go, the returning Leon McKenzie was the hero of the hour. This time it was Holt who turned provider for the striker with a fine cross that was met equally by the head of McKenzie for the winner.

John Johnson did well to deny Oxford a late equaliser with a header from under his own cross bar and that was enough to hold the lead in place and move us back up to fourteenth in League Two.

The recent up turn in form coupled with the new faces – Francis Laurent only fit enough to play for the first half today – is enough to give us hope of a strong second half to this season. There’s still everything to play for and even though we are still a couple of games ahead of a few teams it’s still nice to see the top seven at least in view if not quite close enough to touch just yet.

Plenty on offer on big derby day

Northampton Town v Oxford United
League Two
Saturday, January 22nd

After a dramatic week in the transfer market it's back to on the pitch action tomorrow afternoon as an in form Oxford side look to ruin the débuts of Shaun Harrad and Francis Laurent. Both should be in the squad at least along with Michael Built, the 18-year-old signed onto a pro deal this week by Town. Billy McKay and Leon McKenzie will also be back in the frame after they both missed the defeat at Gillingham so the squad is looking a lot thicker than at this stage last week.

Oxford have risen to the brink of the playoffs following a good recent run of form and are aiming for a double over the Cobblers after their impressive win at the Kassam earlier in the season.Steve Maclean has resigned with the club on loan until the end of the season from Plymouth Argyle and will be looking to add to the two goals he's netted so far. Alfie Potter could return to the side after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury whilst Tom Cradoock will be hoping to score for the fourth successive game.

It’s the start of a run of home games now and if we can kick off with a positive here we can start to get right back on track. Here’s hoping that the strikers that we do have will prove their worth and have us forget about the last few days!


Elsewhere in League Two...

Chesterfield, five points clear at the top, face a stern test of their promotion credentials this weekend with a trip to sixth placed Shrewsbury Town. The Shrews were winners at Accrington on Tuesday night and will be desperate to close the gap on the top places. There’s another belter of a game at Adams Park where second placed Wycombe meet third placed Rotherham with both sides waiting on any slips from the league leaders. Port Vale are still fourth despite defeat at Crewe last week and will hoping to bounce back at home to Cheltenham Town. Crewe themselves go to Aldershot whilst fellow playoff hopefuls Bury visit Southend tonight.

At the bottom, in form Hereford go to Accrington but will be without Michael Manset who signed for Reading this week having helped them off the foot of League Two. There's a real basement battle with Stockport hosting Lincoln and Barnet go to Macclesfield who are without a win in five games. Burton have slipped to 20th but their cup run means that they have plenty of games in hand and they attempt to move on without Harrad when they visit Bradford.

Meanwhile, Gillingham are still on a fine run and they face Torquay at Plainmoor. Morecambe have won their last three league games and travel to Stevenage aiming to force their way into the top half.

Harrad signs!

Just when we thought it was all over, a bolt from the blue yesterday saw Shaun Harrad put pen to paper on a two and a half year deal at Sixfields!

Harrad, 26, has netted 13 times already this season including a hat-trick against Rotherham. That followed a season of 21 goals last season and it's clear that we have a real threat on our hands.

The signing that can take us to a new level added to that of Francis Laurent and the tieing down of Michael Jacobs to a new deal makes this one of the best transfer windows in recent years.

The disappointment on the break down in the deal for Calvin Zola is now a distant memory and those who doubted the ambition of the chairman and manager before have been answered. Though one signing doesn't make a season, this one will create a buzz around Sixfields starting with tomorrows visit of Oxford United.

Sammo has his man!

Zola chooses Albion

Well the news this afternoon is that Calvin Zola has signed for Burton and decided against a move to the Cobblers. There’s a chance he could be pursued again in the simmer as he’s only signed on loan with the Brewers until the end of the season but for now Sammo will reflect on another chance lost, this time to a fellow League Two side.

As I said below, you can’t begrudge a move to a place closer to home for a player and we must now move on and either go with what we have and try again in the summer or attempt to step up the bid for Shaun Harrad which is apparently still on the table.

What we don’t want to end up doing is end up signing someone for the sake of it. Francis Laurent gives us an option and Billy McKay will be secretly happy that he gets the chance to continue to prove himself. Leon McKenzie could do with being fit all the time as well but that could be a long shot considering his on/off nature so far.

So another one drops through the net and it’s looking more and more like a frustrating month for Sammo.

Zola deal still in the balance

The wait goes on as Calvin Zola considers his options for his next big career move. Burton Albion’s entrance to the race to sign the striker could yet hinder Town’s bid due to the distance between Zola’s current home and Burton, a much closer option for him to consider.

It’s understandable, yet frustratingly so, that the man targeted to lift us into the top half has to consider his location as a key tool in the move and I suppose we should begrudgingly say that it’s somewhat of a good thing to hear in this day and age that money isn’t the only consideration to a player.

We have more than likely offered more money to Zola than Burton and the fact that he needs to consider his family life is perfectly acceptable to me even if it means he does end up choosing the Brewers and costing us a decent forward.

When I say that I still hope with all hopes that he will choose the Cobblers and fire us to greater things...t looks like going on for a while longer yet!

Depleted squad falls to defeat

Gillingham 1-0 Northampton Town
League Two
Saturday, January 15th 2011

When you're struggling for strikers and facing a trip to one of the most in form sides in the league it certainly doesn't help to have another forward fall injured just before the game. But Billy Mckay was added to the injury list before this one and it was an unusual front pairing of Andy Holt and Courtney Herbert that would try to break down Gillingham.

But the only goal of the game came from a player and an entity that we so crave right now, an in form striker, Cody McDonald. Bayo Akinfenwa would come off the bench to play against the Cobblers but it was McDonald, scorer of a hat-trick last weekend in a 5-0 win at Stockport, that took home the glory as the Gills leapt into the playoffs thanks to some fine form.

Indeed this was their sixth win in seven games and it's been a significant rise to pronimence since the last time we met back in October with Andy hessenthaler having the magic touch once again at the Priestfield Stadium.

The Cobblers will reflect on a decent effort against the odds though and there was a debut for Greg Kaziboni, replacing Herbert, in the second half. The likes of Malachi Farquharson and Mihai Gherasim were on the bench, further emphasising the need for the fresh blood that looks likely to come in next week.

The goal that won it was simple enough with McDonald latching on to a downward header from a long free kick to score from fifteen yards. The Cobblers deserve some credit for staying in it though and half chances fell to Nathaniel Wedderburn and Michael Jacobs but it just wasn't to be.

It's easy to blame injuries but the fact that both McKay and McKenzie were missing was crucial here. Add to the squad Francis Laurent and Calvin Zola who should be completing moves over the next few days and it should look a whole lot brighter.

Laurent signs on...

At last...a signing confirmed!

Right winger Francis Laurent has signed a deal with the Cobblers until the end of the season from French side FC Compiegne. Laurent was previously with Southend United and made over 50 appearances for the club and scoring nine goals before moving back to his native country last October.

But Samoo has completed the deal and beaten a clutch of clubs who were interested in the pacy wniger. It’s not the striker we’re after but it’s an interesting one for sure. With Kevin Thornton, the current creative spark, sidelined we were certainly in need of a bit of creativity and Laurent could well fit that particular bill.

The deal is subject to international clearance but Laurent should be here by the middle of next week.

Bayo set to play as Cobblers head to Kent

Gillingham v Northampton Town
League Two
Saturday, January 15th 2011

Amid the speculations and rumours there’s a game to play this weekend as we travel to Gillingham to face a team that are undoubtedly in their best run of form for quite some time. The defeat to Wycombe on January 3rd was the only blotch on a run that’s seen them fire in six wins in seven games. The run means that the Gills are now just a point from the playoffs and shows how a run can really get you back into the picture. Indeed after the Cobblers won 2-1 in the reverse fixture back in October they were languishing in eighteenth place!

There’s not been a lot of activity of yet in the transfer window for Gills but they were boosted when midfielder Danny Spiller signed a new contract earlier this month. Meanwhile Simon King has finally returned to training after eighteen months out with an ankle injury but Andy Hessanthaler has warned that he needs to be patient as he plots a return to action.

With their away day hoodoo well and truly overcome and with a 5-1 away win at Stockport behind them, Gillingham are arguably the most dangerous team in the league to be coming up against. Cody McDonald scored the first away hat-trick for the club in almost twelve years at Edgeley Park so we need to keep a firm eye on him as well as a certain Mr Akinfenwa!

The Cobblers could bring Ryan Gilligan back in but Kevin Thornton will be missing for up to three weeks with a hamstring injury picked up after coming off the bench during the draw with Cheltenham last weekend. A last minute decision will again be made on Leon Mckenzie who continues to struggle with a knee problem that’s plagued his short Town career. Craig King has returned to Leicester at the end of his loan spell.

Unfortunately we’ll be under the watch of referee Trevor (the whistling) Kettle tomorrow so that should be a fun addition to proceedings!

All in all it’s fair to say it’s not going to be the easiest of trips on Saturday and we’ll need a confident performance if we’re to get anything from a raging bull of a Gills side.

Elsewhere in League Two...Chesterfield are four points clear at the top of the table and will be looking to extend that lead as they host cup giant killers Stevenage Borough. Second placed Rotherham could only close the gap by a point on Tuesday night and only just managed that in a 3-3 draw at Stockport. The Millers are at home to Southend United tomorrow. Meanwhile, Wycombe travel to struggling Lincoln and it’s 5th v 4th as improving Crewe welcome Port Vale to Gresty Road. Bury will want to bounce back from three defeats in the last four games (all by a single goal) as they play Aldershot at Gigg Lane. Shrewsbury’s form has also dipped and they won’t be relishing a tricky trip to Barnet who claimed a surprise 3-1 win at Bradford last weekend. The Bantams try to put that behind them at Oxford. There’s a basement battle at Edgar Street with Hereford facing Stockport while Morecambe and Torquay do battle, the latter having picked up an important win in midweek. Rounding off the action is Cheltenham, as they attempt to leap back into the playoffs, at home to Accrington Stanley.

Akinde says no, Zola now the target?

So it was John Akinde that the Cobblers were talking to yesterday but we’ve once again had to move on after the Bristol City striker couldn’t agree personal terms. Sammo has acted quickly though and is back on the hunt for a player that can’t be named but is pretty certain to be Calvin Zola after the clues given out by the club today.

Apparently the ‘man in question’ who is due in town for talks today was among the league’s top scorers last season, was interesting the club earlier this season and is being kept out of the first team at his current club due to the form of the first choice front pairing. To me that all points to Zola and we once again await news.

It’s all getting a bit “Murder She Wrote” with all these clues isn’t it! As long as we don’t sign Jessica Fletcher on a season long loan in desperation then I’ll be reasonably happy…

New target in town for talks...

The Cobblers will begin talks with another striker today as Sammo tries to bring in an exciting prospect that made his name in non league but is currently with a Championship side. The mystery man is apparently at Sixfields today to try and thrash out the deal after a five figure cash sum was agreed yesterday.

The deal is on top of the one for Shaun Harrad and despite this looking dead in the water it’s good to see a couple of bids on the table! If the Harrad bid does fail then it’s not the end of the road for the recruitment and the Cobblers boss continues to work hard to get his reinforcements in. Craig King and Ryan Jarvis are both now back at their clubs after loan spells with Town and with neither player scoring whilst with the club the pressure is on to bring in quality and goals.

Mystery then in Northampton this afternoon but there may well be something announced by the close of play and hopefully in time for the trip to Gillingham on Saturday.

Harrad off, Morgan Off…who’s next?!

The January transfer window Is again frustrating Sammo in his attempts to bring in the illusive striker that will shoot us from mid table to playoff challengers and it appears that the first two choices of his wish list are now out of play. Shaun Harrad looks set to climb the footballiing ladder and join a League One club at least. His performance against Middlesbrough in the F.A. C up over the weekend will have endeared himself to any possible suitors and the Teesside club themselves will be wondering where they can get a bargain goal scorer from.

Meanwhile, Marvin Morgan has chosen Dagenham as his new home by joining the Daggers on loan, presumably until a more permanent deal can be thrashed out. Morgan could have been a perfect fit but again we’re pipped to that post. Time s are a changing and the fact that Dagenham is a better prospect than coming to Sixfields is slightly disconcerting despite the Daggers’ promotion last season.

So where to turn next? Sammo’s got his eyes firmly on Rene Howe it seems whilst Emile Sinclair’s name has also been banded about the stands at Sixfields. We certainly need someone to match Sammo’s ambitions and believe that they can make that difference.

The battle goes on…

Hodgson sacking gives us spotlight again

The sacking of Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has returned us, albeit in a round about way, back into the public spotlight again. It seems an age ago that Abdul Osman swept home that beautiful spot kick to seal the greatest night in recent club history but in the past few days we’ve been seeing it again and again on news channels – never a bad thing indeed!

It’s a sign of the media’s views of that night that it’s seen as the starting point for Hodgson’s demise and the ultimate low point of Liverpool’s season. So let’s revel in it once again shall we?! Because as much as that game defined the Hodgson era at Anfield it was also the high point for a small League Two club that will last in the memories forever. A night when we became heroes as much as Liverpool became villains to their own folk.

So as Mr Hodgson relaxes at home with a daily dose of Countdown and Loose Women for company, we can reflect on the night that started his downfall and not feel guilty in the slightest. In all seriousness I do think he’ll be back in a role that suits him better than the pressures of Anfield but for now we salute once again the historical game that we will never forget.

Robins hold Cobblers as we reach half way

Northampton Town 1-1 Cheltenham Town
League Two
Saturday, January 8th 2011

With the continuous hunt on for a new striker there’s on that’s still staking his claim in the current list of front men. Billy McKay scored another point on his plucky claims to a starting place with a second goal in two games against Cheltenham and, despite the end result of a draw this time, showed Sammo that the future may not completely revolve around whether or not we can persuade a supposed bigger fish to ply his trade at Sixfields.

The performance by all accounts was better than that against a sturdy Lincoln side last Monday but the result was that of two dropped points when you look at the mix up for the Robins’ goal and the chances that the Cobblers created. The fact that Cheltenham went into the game in a playoff place also gives us general frustration of not taking advantage of a chance to close the ever gaping gap between ourselves and the end of season lottery that may well pass us by once again.

It was with the first attack of the game on ten minutes in which McKay gave us the early advantage. Makeshift striker Andy Holt crossed for the actual striker to nod us in front. John Johnson almost got lucky with a cross shot before a goal mouth scramble almost doubled our lead. The momentum was lost just after half time though with Tozer and Dunn hesitating and Wes Thomas taking advantage to equalise.

McKay could have had one or two more in a hard working display, testing goalkeeper Scott Brown with one effort and then heading wide. Holt tried his luck late on with an optimistic and acrobatic overhead kick that would have taken the roof off but we had to settle for a point.

So with 23 games played and 23 to go it’s all a bit middle of the road isn’t it?! With the start we made though and that dreadful run in October that saw us lose five on the bounce there’s a promising sign emerging for yet another good second half of the season. Early mistakes have been rectified and with a more solid defence in place we have a base to build on.

It’s odd to think we’re only half way through but with so much left in the season there’s always a chance of making a better go of it and starting to head back in the right direction. To come are plenty of Tuesday night outings after the snowy December, hopefully new blood before the end of this month and a healthily competitive league campaign that’s proving very hard to call. Half way there…living on a prayer? Maybe, but someone will hopefully hear our call.

On we go!

Challenge back on if Robins are seen off

Following a thunder bolt of a winner in an otherwise scrappy game on Monday we welcome Cheltenham Town to Sixfields tomorrow still trying desperately to break away from the bottom half of the League Two table. The Robins have been significantly improving this season though and what would have been a must win around this time last year is now a tricky encounter.

Cheltenham have rose into seventh and are the third highest scorers in the league away from home with nineteen goals on the road so PFA Player of the Month for December Dunny will have to be on his guard! At the other end of the pitch, Leon McKenzie should be fit to play after missing Monday’s game but Ryan Jarvis has returned to Leyton Orient. Ben Tozer has extended his Cobblers loan contract until the end of the season and the defensive situation is backed up more by the fact that Craig Hinton returns from his loan spell at Luton to rejoin the squad. Abdul Osman, meanwhile, makes a landmark 100th club appearance should he play.

One man who looks likely to miss out on a Sixfields return is Josh Low who is suffering from a hamstring injury which could force him out of the game and a potential bruising battle with Andy Holt on that side of the pitch!

It should be a bit more open tomorrow then on Monday and here’s hoping that plays into our hands. That top half is looming large and if we can sneak in tomorrow then you really have to believe that we’re back challenging for the playoffs. First things first though…

PFA recognition for Dunn

Congratulations to Chris Dunn as he picked up the December PFA Player of the Month award for December. With a freezing fixture list last month there wasn’t an awful lot to choose from but Dunn came out on top for the clean sheets and performances against Stockport and Stevenage at the start of the month.

Dunny will be presented with the award later this month before the home game with Oxford United.

Mixed results but striker still needed

So a mixed bag over the New Year and despite the typical up and down trend it's still three wins from four with John Johnson's late screamer on Monday crucially steering us further away from the bottom two.

The problem of a new striker persists from both games though and Leon Mckenzie's inability to play two games in a row makes the need for fresh, proven blood even more urgent.

All the postponed games mean that we'll be playing plenty of Tuesday games from here on in so the depth of the squad needs to be greater if the Cobblers are to seriously challenge in the top half. 

The fact that the Shaud Harrad bid is dragging out isn't a good sign and we could well be losing touch on that one. Sammo says that he gas back up options but the quality really needs to be better than the loans made so far in terms of goal return.

At Crewe it was the difference with two fine finishes handing us defeat and it's games like that where we need to compete better. The squad are good enough to see off the likes of Lincoln even in a dreadful game at Sixfields and Billy McKay will be delighted to be back in the goals himself. Personally I find McKay to be vastly improved this term but is just lacking a partner up front. 

A fit McKenzie would be ideal but it's clear that something else is needed if we're to start the sort of run that gave us a glimpse of excitement at the end of last season.

Three Wise Men...Should they stay or should they go?

The three loan signings of Ben Tozer, Ryan Jarvis and Craig King will be discussed after today's game with Sammo looking at his options ahead of the transfer window. All three loans are up after the Crewe game and I don't expect that all three will be kept on.

Ben Tozer is the main attraction here with the defender returning from Newcastle following an excellent first spell here. The sticking point with him is that he might want to return to show new Toon boss Alan Pardew what he's made of but Sammo will be desperate to hold on to a main stay of his starting line ups this season.

The two strikers haven't had a lot of action but I would imagine that only one would be kept on with the interest in Shaun Harrad and other potential forwards a key point there. The safe bet would be to keep one of them until the end of the season and then try to tie down the much talked about Harrad in the coming days.

It promises to be an interesting January for the Cobblers and it's a make or break month to get it right for the big push once again.

Football is back!

I don't want to speak TOO soon but it looks as if we're going to get a game on this afternoon for the first time in three weeks. Crewe are ready to host the Cobblers in what should be an entertaining game at Gresty Road for those who survive hangovers to make it up there!

Alex, in tenth going into the game, could bring Lee Bell back into action after he served a one match ban. Clayton Donaldson has recovered from injury and should play but there probably won't be a place for ex Cobblers target Calvin Zola. Zola was top scorer last season but has been out of favour and out of fitness this time around and looks likely to miss out.

One good thing to come from all the snow was that John Johnson and Leon McKenzie could recover fully for the Cobblers. McKenzie's knee injury will be checked out after the game though and he may not be able to cope with the Lincoln home game on Monday as well.

It's a real toughie though as we look to kick start 2011 and with Crewe scoring plenty of goals once again we need the defensive unit to step up to the plate. Indeed six of the last seven meetings between Crewe and the Cobblers at Gresty Road have yielded four or more goals so the stage is set with two squads that haven't played since December 11th to celebrate the New Year and remind us what we've been missing for the last few weeks!