Final furlong arrives with six games to go

Northampton Town v Bury
League Two
Saturday, April 9th 2011

The final six games are upon us. If we put this in terms of Saturday's Grand National, we would be looking at the final furlong as four or five horses battle for the finish line. As it is, six games will decide the fortunes of nervy relegation threatened sides and ambitious clubs fighting for promotion. Team on both ends of the scale will be on show tomorrow afternoon as the Cobblers, five points above the drop zone, host Bury, a point away from third place and the automatic promotion places.

After Tuesday night’s massive six pointer at Burton, it’s a game that starts a three game run against sides gunning for promotion in way or another. Wycombe follow this game for the Cobblers while Rotherham visit Sixfields on Good Friday, three games that on paper we shouldn’t take a lot from but in reality that we really have to.

First up are the Shakers, manager less but no less seeking their ultimate goal of reaching League One for the first time since 2002 when they were relegated in the same season as entering administration for financial irregularities. Helping them along their way is Ryan Lowe, who netted his twenty fifth goal of the season during the 3-0 win over Oxford United last weekend.

Lowe, in total for Bury, has notched up an impressive forty two goals in seventy eight appearances for the club and was named League Two Player of The Year at the Football League awards a couple of weeks ago. Not bad for a man who arrived on a free transfer from Chester City in 2009 and his goals eclipse any of his team mates’ efforts this season. To say Lowe is the danger man tomorrow afternoon is the understatement of the season so far!

In the dugout in the absence of a full time boss is Richie Barker, the former Rotherham United striker and it was announced yesterday that Robbie Fowler will help out the management team for a week starting from next Tuesday. Barker will be hoping that his side will be able to match their last four league away games, in which Bury have kept clean sheets in all four.

The Cobblers have to end that particular stat but still have some injury concerns rolling over from Tuesday night. John Johnson is struggling with a thigh problem while Michael Jacobs is touch and go after falling ill this week.

So as those final six games commence and a run of three incredibly tough fixtures kicks off at Sixfields, there’s no room for error for two sides with very different aspirations.