A Load of Cobblers in Free Transfer move!

A LOAD OF COBBLERS BLOG HAS MOVED!

In a free transfer that was finalised over the weekend, the A Load of Cobblers blog has moved to the following address, it's new home from now onwards:

http://aloadofcobblers2012.wordpress.com/

For all new features including Player Profiles, NTFC History and Classic matches, head over now and update your bookmarks! We are very happy with our new home and hope you will be too.

See you over there!

Danny

League Two Playoff Final Preview

Torquay United v Stevenage

League Two Playoff Final

Saturday, 28th May 2011

It all comes down to one game. After forty eight gruelling matches, a roller coaster campaign and a twist around every corner, either Torquay United or Stevenage will join Chesterfield, Bury and Wycombe in League One.

It’s perhaps indicative that the gap between Conference and League Two is closing all the time as two sides that have both been promoted within the last two years – Torquay as Conference Playoff winners in 2009 and Stevenage as Champions in 2010 – prepare to meet for a place in the third tier of English football.

Torquay have been there and done it, appearing in the FA Trophy Final in 2008 before that Playoff final win a year later so big game nerves aren’t new to their fans. Stevenage are relatively new to the surroundings but have proved that they are a match for anyone this season by dumping Newcastle United out of the FA Cup.

It’s set to be a tight, nervy encounter if the end of the season is anything to go by and as Manchester United supporters head for London for a big final of their own, their stadium will become a Theatre of Dreams for two sides looking for that key to League One.

Form

The two reached Old Trafford in similar style, both winning just once in their final six league games to scrape into the playoffs in the last two positions on a dramatic final day of the season. Both then proceeded to turn the form book on its head by winning the home legs of their semi-finals 2-0, Torquay against fancied Shrewsbury and Stevenage against Accrington Stanley.

The second legs provided neither side with any real panic. Travelling to two teams that were strong at home, it was certainly not all over as four would become two. But Accrington shot themselves in the foot with two red cards in the middle of the second half within seconds of each other. Joe Jacobson’s late challenge on Lawrie Wilson and Sean McConvlle’s raising of a hand in frustration made the task simpler for Graham Westley’s men and a calm finish from Chris Beardsley eased Stevenage through. At the New Meadow, Shrewsbury’s challenge fell flat and an organised but far from defensive performance from Torquay saw them hold out for a goalless draw to book their place at the Old Trafford.

Key Men

Stevenage have built their season on a rock solid defence that have conceded just forty five goals all season, the least in League Two.  Player of the Year Jon Ashton, who has been at the heart of that record, looks set to miss out through injury so there’s extra importance on Mark Roberts at the back and Chris Day between the sticks. At the other end of the pitch, Byron Harrison, signed from non-league Carshalton in January, could be a dark horse to steal the limelight. Harrison has struck eight times in twenty games for the Boro since his arrival and will be hoping for a fairy tale ending to a dramatic few months that’s seen him go from playing in the Isthmian League Premier to running out at Old Trafford.

Torquay will be reliant on their attacking style to come out on top and Chris Zebroski will be vital to their challenge. Zebroski has netted fifteen times this season and will always be a constant threat. Gavin Tomlin was the stand out player of the semi-final first leg at Plainmoor and his pace and trickery will give Stevenage a real headache. Jake Robinson, who helped the Gulls beat his parent club Shrewsbury in the semis will be another danger man as he looks to stake a claim for a permanent move to the Devon club.

Head to Head

Stevenage go into the final having never beaten Torquay in their six previous meetings. United did the double over them in 2007/08 before snatching four points from the meetings the following season. This time around, a goalless draw in September at Broadhall Way was followed by another Torquay victory in early March as goals from Danny Stevens and Jake Robinson earned a 2-0 win. That game also saw Boro defender Mark Roberts sent off for a professional foul so fair to say they owe their opponents one.

The fan’s views...

Torquay fan Ben Mayhew of the Greenwich Gull blog and Stevenage’s Matthew Kett from FCBoro give their views on the big day...

What would promotion mean to you?

MK: It would be great to get promoted again, but I'm not sure that promotion to League 1 would be that much of a positive step long term. In my opinion, I don't think we're ready for League 1 both on and off the pitch. I also don't think getting promoted to League 1 will mean as much as getting into the Football League after 16 years of trying.

BM: Given that we're one of the smallest clubs in the division and only finished 17^th last season it's the stuff of dreams: this season was ostensibly one of gradual progress and nobody could realistically have been anticipating anything better than mid-table. While unexpected, the team are in this position on merit after an outstanding season and an unwavering commitment to positive, attractive football. Promotion would also go a long way towards banishing the memories of our disastrous and embarrassing relegation from the Football League 4 years ago. Irrespective of the emotional significance, it could well mean the difference between keeping our manager and facing a season of rebuilding. Reading between the clumsily unsubtle lines of Paul Buckle's response to being made bookies' favourite for the Bristol Rovers job, he's likely to become League 2's version of Owen Coyle if we don't go up: tempted by the larger budget on offer at our (relatively) local rivals.

Describe the emotions of the semi-finals...

MK: There is a bit of bad blood between the two clubs so it was very satisfying to beat Accrington over two legs and progress into the playoff final. John Coleman did his best to try and play mind games and get his players motivated, but it worked against him and Boro came away with 2 very well earned victories.

BM: There were lots of nerves beforehand as we limped rather than strode into the playoffs after ending the regular season poorly, albeit after a tough run-in. Few teams are as susceptible to momentum as us, so there were fears that our young side wouldn't be able to pick themselves up. However, the assured performance over the two legs meant that the fans weren't forced to endure the emotional rollercoaster witnessed in some of the other playoff matches. Although our 2-0 lead from the first leg was hardly insurmountable, we could have had a few more and never looked like slipping up in the return fixture. I like Shrewsbury as they also try to play good football, but nobody can dispute that our progression was deserved.

How do you view your opponents?

MK: Torquay are a very good side. They are solid and strong at the back and have a potent attack that can hurt any defence in League 2. I've always rated Paul Buckle and think he has done a very good job at Plainmoor on a limited budget. I would say that they are favourites to win the game and go on to League 1.

BM: They're probably the least popular side in the division, although that mantle will no doubt be passed swiftly to Crawley next season. Stevenage's training regime is as mysterious as it is intense: the result is a super-fit, well-drilled, physically imposing side reliant on constant pressing and set pieces, with the occasional dose of (alleged) gamesmanship thrown in for good measure. While it's not my cup of tea I've got nothing against that approach, apart from the last part obviously, and I don't remember them getting up to anything too immoral when they visited Plainmoor this season. While it'd be easy to dismiss them as an anti-football side, they have to be respected for their achievements this season: they're on the verge of a second successive promotion and registered a deserved FA Cup victory over Newcastle along the way. Fans of other League 2 sides have been less than complimentary however, and after witnessing their dire semi-finals against Accrington my worry is that they'll throttle the tie to death before bundling in an 89^th-minute winner.

Who are your key players for the game?

MK: It's expected that Jon Ashton will miss out through injury, so our key players for the game have to be both Michael Bostwick and Mark Roberts. If they are on top of their game, then we will at least be competitive. Torquay will be the more attacking side of the two, so we'll have to defend well and counter attack to good effect to stand any chance of winning the game.

BM: Given Stevenage's likely game plan of harassing us relentlessly throughout, smart use of the ball will be critical. We're very much a passing side and Eunan O'Kane's creative distribution from midfield could well be our most potent weapon, allowing our attackers to stretch their defence. However, if the match degenerates into a scrappy affair, our left back Kevin Nicholson's excellent repertoire from set pieces will serve us well even against such an organised side. We've got several big lads of our own who should be leading by example in standing up to our opponents' physical style, particularly at the back where I have to single out our imperious Player of the Year, Guy Branston. His utter fearlessness (and fearsomeness for that matter) will rally the side in the inevitable few sticky moments on Saturday, and if Nicholson can whip in that killer ball you can bet he'll be rising to meet it with one of his formidable headers.

If promoted, how will you fare in League One?

MK: Defensively, we are sound. The best defence in League 2 this season says a lot, but there's much improvement needed going forward regardless of what division we are in next season. We don't have enough of a goal threat. Craig Reid has been a disappointment and hasn't been able to get the goals he got at Newport. The other strikers we have are not out and out goal scorers. That is the area we most need to strengthen.

BM: League One is as high as we've ever been and both our spells there during my lifetime have only lasted a single season, so the prognosis isn't too encouraging. The main problem is that our average attendance barely budges when we're promoted, making it difficult to increase the wage budget and attract players of the quality required to establish ourselves. However, given the League One scalps we took in the cups this season I'd back us to stay up even without many personnel changes. While we'd be unlikely to persist with our policy of starting with 4 strikers, if we stuck to our attacking principles and Buckle continued his astute use of transfer market then there's every chance it could be different this time.

Finally, a score prediction please!

MK: It will be a low scoring game. I'm going to go for a 1-0 defeat.

BM: We beat them 2-0 at home (with help from 1 of the 9 red cards they racked up in the league this season) and drew 0-0 with them away, so lazy maths suggests a result of 1-0 at a neutral venue. In all seriousness it's likely to be a tight game settled by a narrow margin: they've got the division's best defensive record and I can see it being an edgy affair with not much to offer the neutral. I know we'll set ourselves up positively and even though they won't give us as much time on the ball as Shrewsbury did, I genuinely believe we'll come out on top.

He’s baaaaaack...Bayo returns to Cobblers!

It started with a sighting of the former Player of the Year in the club shop on Tuesday afternoon, it continued with various excited Tweets and Facebook messages but today it’s reality. Adebayo Akinfenwa is a Cobblers once again after a dramatic swoop by Gary Johnson. The big man rejected a new deal at Gillingham and signed on the dotted line back at Sixfields to give us an early summer present.

No-one wanted Akinfenwa to leave this time last year but life at the Priestfield doesn’t appear to have grabbed him despite eleven goals this season for the Gills. Fitness levels haven’t been as much of a problem either with forty four appearances under his belt. Questions about those levels will be shot down by what is looking like an intense pre-season under Johnson.

They say never go back but there’s surely not many Town fans out there against this move. There are, of course, some worries about the aforementioned fitness and whether he could reproduce the form once again that got us close to a playoff place in 2010. But what the signing does give us is a player to hold the ball up and a player back that we never truly replaced in terms of style.

Combined with that is the anticipation of a Bayo-Harrad link up in attack in what could well become one of the most feared front lines in the division. I’ve got my hopes up way too high before and know that one signing does not a summer make and all that but you can’t help but look forward to seeing that combination. That’s without even mentioning Billy McKay and Tadhg Purcell, two excellent forwards at this level who will want to push them all the way.

Bayo holds all of the day’s headlines though and we welcome him back with open arms. He signs on a two year deal!

NTFC Season In Review 2010/2011...August...

The new season kicked off with high hopes for the Cobblers with Ian Sampson leading a charge towards the playoffs in the second half of the previous campaign leading to real anticipation ahead of the 2010/11 season.

New faces included Oscar Jansson (loan) in goal and Marcus Hall at the back as we made the long trip to Torquay for the first game of the new season. Fellow new signings Tadhg Purcell and Nathanial Wedderburn were on the bench for the trip to Plainmoor with John Johnson given a second debut following his permanent move from Middlesbrough.

The hopes and expectations would soon be blown away though as the hosts blew us away, scoring the opening goal just before half time through Kevin Nicholson. Chris Zebroski doubled the lead just after half time and within five minutes of the restart it was 3-0 and game over when Elliot Benyon made it three.

A huge regroup needed then for the Tuesday night curtain raiser at Sixfields as the first home game of the season brought Brighton and Hove Albion to town in the first round of the Carling Cup. Michael Jacobs, one of the young stars of pre-season, would begin a memorable season for him personally by scoring his first goal in professional football on thirteen minutes. Billy McKay headed home a few minutes later and so began a cup run that would take us eventually to an extraordinary night in September.

Back to the league and a tame 0-0 draw with Accrington Stanley at home was followed by an excellent point at Gigg Lane as David Worrall equalised a Steve Guinan penalty to earn Bury a draw against an improving Town side.

The Second Round of the Carling Cup took the Cobblers to Reading and an incredible game ended 2-2 at the end of ninety minutes. Matt Mills had put the Championship side in front but Andy Holt levelled things. Hal Robson-Kanu had the Royals in front again but Kevin Thornton equalised once more for Sammo’s men. Into extra time and Reading led for a third time as Mills struck again but deep, deep into added time, Alex Konstantinou bundled the ball home with the aid of a couple of deflections to take it to penalties. Simon Church had his kick saved, giving us a huge advantage and after successful conversions from Guinan, Thornton and Jacobs, Jake Taylor also missed. Abdul Osman stepped up for the crucial fourth spot kick and kept his nerve to send the small travelling contingent wild and put yet another brick in the road en route to our greatest night a month later.

A home draw with Wycombe back in League Two was another to feature a late equaliser for the Cobblers with Kevin Thornton’s penalty giving us a third straight league draw.

The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy would round off the month but there would be no upset this time as League One Hartlepool United eased to a 4-0 win on a dismal Tuesday night at Victoria Park. Evan Horwood, Anthony Sweeney, Andy Monkhouse and Dennis Behan netted for the Monkey Hangers with all four goals coming within nine minutes of each other!

So a strange old start to the season once again with no league wins but two cup victories over teams in higher divisions. Then came the news that September would feature a Carling Cup trip to Anfield and we could never even imagine in our wildest dreams what was to come...

First three friendlies confirmed

The start of next season is already being plotted with the first three pre-season fixtures released in the last few days. With Gary Johnson looking for different types of test in the build up to the season, there’s sure to be the usual mix of local non league opposition mixed with home games against higher opposition.

That’s the case so far with a Sixfields encounter with Wycombe Wanderers set for Saturday, July 30^th which falls just one week away from the start of the league season. Before that, we make the trip to Brackley for the traditional Maunsell Cup Final and to Oxford City a few days later.

Cobblers pre-season schedule so far:

Saturday, July 16^th: Brackley Town (a) Maunsell Cup Final

Tuesday, July 19^th: Oxford City (a)

Saturday, July 30^th: Wycombe Wanderers (H)

Dunn offered new contract

Chris Dunn has now been offered a new deal to stay with the Cobblers after a lot of umming and arring this week with the keeper attracting interest from teams in higher divisions. My guess is that Dunn has come back to the club with the offers dealt to him by those club(s) and we're now in a position to have a look at what we can offer.

It's been an odd one, with Dunn taking his time but surely Gary Johnson has to stick to his guns in terms of if a player wants to stay then he should know it straight away. Dunn has had a couple of weeks now to sort things out and it seems like he's going backwards and forwards looking to pitch teams against each other in the battle for his signature.

The official word is that he has until June 21st to answer the offer and that's a hell of a long way off for such an important position to be filled. We have to hope that he doesn't drag the negotiations out until then and then jump ship anyway, leaving Johnson with a gaping hole to fill and with a month less in which to scout around.

Webster signing begins the rebuilding

The start of the rebuilding job by Gary Johnson has begun and Byron Webster has become the first to join the new look Cobblers squad. The defender played eight times for the club towards the end of last season and by all accounts was the strongest of Johnson’s loan signings as he reshaped the side.

Webster joins on a two year deal after his release from Doncaster, making his way straight to Sixfields following his departure from the Keapmoat. It seems a sensible signing from the Town boss and a decent start to his recruitment with more likely to follow in the coming weeks with Johnson’s desire to put his squad in place before pre-season gets underway.

Contract update

Apologies for no weekend updates, the blogger service was having a nap! But here's a brief catch up on events from the last few days...

Liam Davis - Released

Following Dean Beckwith’s departure last week, Liam Davis has followed and has been released. After 91 appearances for the club, it’s a bit of a surprise to see but the decision has been made and there’s even more space for new blood as Gary Johnson looks into strengthening the squad.

Guillem Bauza - Joins Exeter City

Bauza has made up his mind and decided to leave Sixfields to sign for League One Exeter City. The Gercians had a superb season and just missed out on the playoffs and will be boosted by a striker who scored four times for a struggling Cobblers side. Sad to see the Spaniard go but yet more room in the squad.

Chris Dunn - Still undecided

Dunny is apparently considering offers from teams higher up the Football League and he could also be on his way. Still no official word but there could yet be an opening for a new first choice keeper.

Rumours

We're continuing to be linked to the likes of John Akinde and Dele Adebola as the rumour mill spins into full effect this week. Johnson hopes to name at least one new face this week and it looks likely that with Bauza gone it could be an attacking one. Watch this space...

Johnson making quick work of reshuffle

Gary Johnson has indicated that he expects to have four or five new faces in by the end of May as he looks to reshape the future of the club immediately. Before he goes away for a summer break, the Town boss wants to have all contract issues dealt with quickly before attempting to bring in players from his wanted list.

One of those could be John Akinde, released from Bristol City this week. Johnson worked with the striker, who was on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge in League One in the second half of last season, when he signed for City from Ebbsfleet United in 2008. Akinde was wanted by Ian Sampson in January before he left the club but there could be a fresh interest now.

With retained lists up and down the country being published this week, let the summer speculating begin!

Beckwith departs

Dean Beckwith is the latest out of contract player to be released by Gary Johnson. Beckwith was in further talks with the Cobblers boss this week but will now be on his way out of Sixfields after 83 appearances and 3 goals.

There’s a massive rebuilding job for the Town boss and things are really getting shaken up this week with decisions to be made on Chris Dunn and Liam Davis.

Retained list brings few surprises

With the growth of Twitter, the identity of a couple of the Cobblers players not offered new deals was apparent even before Saturday’s final game of the season so there wasn’t too many surprises this afternoon when Gary Johnson announced the retained list.

Ryan Gilligan looks to be on his way after being told that he will be made available for transfer whilst Leon McKenzie and Abdul Osman are among the big names to be leaving the club after not doing enough to earn a place in Johnson’s plans. Also departing are Paul Rodgers, Courtney Herbert, Marcus Hall, Alex Konstantinou, Seb Harris and Francis Laurent.

Billy McKay, Paul Walker, Kevin Thornton, Guillem Bauza and Greg Kaziboni have all been offered deals though with Thornton’s offer dependant on his fitness come the start of July when the players report back for pre-season training. Hopefully the incentive will now be there for Thornton to prove himself in time and given the last couple of weeks’ performances you have to say that he’s worth giving one more chance to.

Bauza has until Friday to decide on his future with Johnson keen to tie most issues up before he goes away on holiday. The Spanish striker is due to fly back to his home country next week and the Town boss has given him Friday’s deadline to decide on his future. Most Cobblers fans will want him to stay after impressing during his short time here towards the end of the season.

The futures of Chris Dunn, Dean Beckwith and Liam Davis is still unclear with Johnson undecided on their individual futures. Meanwhile, Michael Uwesu has been invited back to pre-season training in July.

It’s a shotgun approach from Johnson but it makes sense to get a picture of what he has early on before going after his prime transfer targets. One of those could include John Akinde, who spent time on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge in the last couple of months. The striker has been released by parent club Bristol City and there’s strong rumours that he’s in talks with the Cobblers.

Sweet Sixteen for Town with back to back wins

Morecambe 1-2 Northampton Town

League Two

Saturday, May 7^th 2011

Two games ago we were willing the season to end, desperate to end the fears of relegation but when the curtain did finally fall, Cobblers fans can be forgiven for wishing that the campaign continued a little longer. If last weekend’s victory was timely but rare, more so was back to back wins that meant we finished in a more respectable sixteenth place in the final standings.

The story wasn’t just a decent win at Morecambe watched by a terrific band of travelling fans but the squad that was cut to five subs with those not travelling expected to be on their way once the retained list is announced on Monday. That list included Ryan Gilligan who is under contract but has been told that he can find a new club, rumoured to be Plymouth Argyle. Leon McKenzie also looks to be off along with Abdul Osman and Marcus Hall but there may yet be more additions once that list is revealed.

One man that has earned a second thought is Kevin Thornton and having put in a fine performance last week, opened the scoring at the Globe Arena, stabbing home after a couple of rebounds. Thornton is a frustrating player when you see him play so well but the thoughts are that he wants to stay and with a summer under Gary Johnson we have to hope he final fulfils his undoubted promise.

Guillem Bauza is another on the brink but his situation could be more of a question of whether he wants to stay rather than whether we want him or not. The Spaniard nearly doubled the lead in the first half with a lobbed effort before Danny Carlton tested Chris Dunn.

The Cobblers were putting in an excellent shift and with pressure off it appeared a more relaxed and confident performance. The lead was doubled by Ben Tozer in his final game before the end of his loan. He would have done his prospects of returning no harm with a superb half volley that made it 2-0.

There was no massive fight back from Morecambe but they did halve the deficit with injury time approaching with a scrambled effort from Niall Cowperthwaite but there was no late fight back and we signed off with a very good victory on the road, only a third away win of the season.

That meant that we leapfrogged the hosts in the final table and other results mean that the Cobbler ended up in sixteenth. To say it could have been worse is an understatement of the highest kind but once the clear out is complete and the dust settles we have to ensure that this shocker of a season doesn’t happen again for a very long time.

League Two Preview...7th May 2011

So many issues are still to be decided in League Two going into the final day of the season. There’s one place left in the automatic promotion running whilst three teams will battle it out for the final two playoff berths. At the other end, the relegation dog fight has been whittled down to two so an afternoon of high drama is in store.

The title race is still not over either and as it happens, the fate of the playoffs will be decided in part by Bury and Chesterfield who are scrapping over top spot. Chesterfield are at home to Gillingham whilst Bury travel to Stevenage in two games with huge implications. Chesterfield need just a point to be crowned champions whilst Gillingham need AT LEAST a draw to have any chance of the playoffs. Bury must win if they’re to steal the title but their hosts, Stevenage know that a win for them would guarantee their spot!

If you’re still following, congratulations!

While all that’s going on, Shrewsbury and Wycombe will be fighting over the last automatic promotion spot. Wycombe will be hot favourites with a home game against Southend to come through and know that a win would clinch  promotion at Adams Park. Any slip ups would allow Shrewsbury back in and they are at home to Oxford.

The other team scrapping for a playoff place is Torquay and their task is easier to understand – win at Rotherham and they will be competing in the playoffs. Accrington are already there and will finish fifth no matter what happens in their game at Burton.

Looking to avoid falling out of the league the other way are Barnet and Lincoln and following months of controversy, recoveries and breath taking drama it comes down to this. A win for Lincoln at home to Aldershot would mean that they are safe but the Imps are on a dreadful ruin of form that’s taken them to the brink. Barnet have one final chance after losing at Accrington last weekend and host port Vale at Underhill. The Bees know that a victory for them and a draw for Lincoln would see them safe but anything other than three points would mean that they drop back into the Conference once more.

Stockport are already down but will be hoping to end on a high as they host Cheltenham whilst only pride is all that’s at stake in the games between Macclesfield and Hereford and Bradford and Crewe.

One last weekend will have implications on the history of a whole host of clubs and there’s bound to be a frantic afternoon up and down the country as radios are pinned to ears, hearts are broken and heroes are made. 

Final day with nothing to play...strange!

Morecambe v Northampton Town

League Two

Saturday, May 7th 2011

A last day of the season with nothing to play for and nothing at stake, unless of course you count the fact that we could overtake Morecambe in the final standings, is a rarity at Northampton Town. There doesn’t seem to be many chances to enjoy a day out and, barring a couple of mid-table  finishes in League One including the memorable “Doctor Day” at Donny, we always seem to be nervous going into the last fixture of the season.

So it’s with some relief that I write this pretty relaxed and hoping only for a win that would give us a little ounce of pride back for the final placing. Having escaped the drop last weekend, it would be a fine way to finish off and reward the hardy fans that have really come good in the past few months with a win to draw a line under the 2010-11 campaign.

Morecambe will want to end on a high as well and following their 7-2 trouncing at Port Vale last week, the Shrimps will be fighting to restore some parity of their own. They will be shuddering at the score line from the Vale game after losing on aggregate by the same score in last season’s playoff semi-finals to Dagenham and Redbridge.

It’s been a more reserved season this time as Sammy McIlroy steadied the ship rather than going for broke and safety has always been the foremost of their concerns. On another tight budget it’s been a job well done once again with the move to their new Globe Arena last summer a decent step forward.

For this final game of a trying season, many Cobblers players could have played their final games in claret after meeting the big bosses this week. It’s been made apparent that a good number of those players that weren’t offered deals will not be travelling to Morecambe so we should have a better idea as to who will be on their way after this Saturday once the squad is announced.

Just seven players are actually under contract so there is likely to be a massive turn around in personnel with Ryan Gilligan, Andy Holt, Shaun Harrad, Nathaniel Wedderburn, Michael Jacobs, John Johnson and Tadhg Purcell the only ones with a place for next season unless they move on of their own accord.

Adam Rundle could return for Morecambe after ending his loan spell with Gateshead this week. Wholesale changes could be made after that hammering last week and with a view to next season’s squad.

So it’s down to one final game and let’s enjoy it and still be proud as ever that we’ve come through the rough patch as a club. It’s time to [push onwards and ending the season on a high would be the first step in the rebuilding of our beloved Cobblers.

June 17th...

...is the date to put in the diaries. That’s the date that next season’s fixtures will be announced and planning can begin once more.

It seems odd to look forward to next season after the dismal campaign that the Cobblers have had but once the season is over we’ll all miss it in some way. With a strong West Country contingent coming down in Swindon, Bristol Rovers and Plymouth and of course the wealth of Crawley coming up it already promises to be a tough league to escape from.


Let’s just hope we try to get out the right way next time!

Where did it all go wrong?

A mini pitch invasion, scenes of jubilation at Sixfields and players celebrating on the final day of the season. Scenes that we dreamed of back in August. But on the final day of the season who would ever have predicted that we would be chanting “We are staying up” rather than “we are going up” into the summer evening?

So many things have gone wrong that it’s hard to know where to start but Anfield would be as good a place as any. It was to be Sammo’s last real heroic memory of a Sixfields tenure that stretched over two decades as he led warriors to a penalty shoot out victory over a Liverpool side full of internationals and potential internationals. Michael Jacobs came of age. Kevin Thornton finally fulfilled his potential. Even Courtney Herbert made a cameo that reflected his early days at the club rather than his stop-start Cobblers career since. Alistair Slowe made it to the warm up. Such was the uniqueness of that night. But how damaging was it in the long term? Victory over Bradford the following weekend appeared to continue the momentum but there was trouble around the corner and to me this is where it all began.

Whether it was big headedness, naivety or if we just excelled ourselves that far at Liverpool that it could only possibly have happened once. Between then and the next round, a comfortable defeat at Portman Road, we lost the plot and lost every game following Bradford until exiting the competition that had given us five minutes in the spotlight.

Gillingham were beaten just after Ipswich dumped us out but he damage was done. A pivotal 4-3 home reverse against Hereford at Sixfields in which the Cobblers led 3-0 at one point was the peak of our failings.

There was a brief resurgence with that Gillingham victory and a 2-0 win at Sincil Bank. That’s how backwards this season was, we actually won at Lincoln! Sweeping aside Forest Green in the cup and flogging Stve Guinan off there meant that things were looking up but then came another big moment – the 4-1 loss at Barnet that suddenly shoved us right back in the mire and undid a couple of weeks of impressive work that had also included a goalless draw with then high flyers Port Vale.

At least we would go into Christmas mildly happy after wins over Stockport and Stevenage but as the wintery weather played havoc with the schedule the momentum was lost. Victory over Crewe, incredibly 6-2, on a Tuesday night at the start of February did a similar job of Liverpool as making us feel unbeatable. For the next six games we were certainly that, but we were also a team that could not buy a victory.
Sammo’s sacking after game seven of this run, the 3-2 loss against Burton at Sixfields, was upsetting, and had it been for two of those draws coming good and turning into a win he may still be here now, such is the fine line in football.

Enter Player Two, Gary Johnson, who was quickly installed. Alas, no time for a honeymoon period on planet Cobblers and three defeats spun Johnson’s new charges towards the trap door. Here lied another problem. Upon his appointment, everyone at the club was talking about “planning for next season and in my eyes this was very wrong. It sent the wrong message out to the players, letting them know that not only were changes going to be made in the summer but that the higher powers thought it was all over and that there was nothing to play for. There most certainly was.

Cue more bad times until the drama of the last couple of weeks at least made people stand up and take notice of what trouble we were in. Three consecutive 2-2 draws had us dangling nervously over the drop zone and Barnet were chomping away at any gap between us. Fans and players alike finally began to do battle and just at the right time, Stevenage were beaten to secure safety on Saturday.
While the excitement over the win is going to last a few more days, the summer is going to bring about a real shake up. Those out of contract will struggle to hold on to their Cobblers careers with Johnson planning a big turn around of players.

This could lead to the excuse next season that we would take time to gel with a whole new side almost. Unfortunately there can be few excuses and we have to hit the ground running so the work that Johnson does between now and the start of next season is absolutely pivotal.

We’re being promised that this dire season won’t be repeated but just because the powers that be say so it doesn’t mean it won’t or can’t happen.

So enjoy the final week of the season, be grateful that there’s nothing but league placing on Morecambe away and get set for a big summer of change at Sixfields.

Safety sealed but big questions now being asked...

Northampton Town 2-0 Stevenage

League Two

Saturday, April 30^th 2011

Relief, jubilation and, finally, an enquiry. Three emotions quickly being rotated around the minds of Cobblers fans this weekend as a first victory in nineteen long, long games brought about survival in the Football League. The fact that we were so happy to end the season with our status in tact shows how dismal the campaign has been since that night at Anfield in September.

We can, for now, just breathe that sigh of relief that came after goals from Liam Davis and Kevin Thornton earned the crucial win over a Stevenage side that would end with just nine men on the pitch. We had luck along the way with a goal that probably should have stood for the visitors but any Town fans exiting Sixfields would not have cared a jot because combined with Accrington’s win over Barnet, it meant that we were just about there.

Davis picked up where he left off in the last home game. He netted that vital equaliser late in the day against Rotherham and unleashed a belter of a left footed shot from distance past Chris Day to give the Cobblers the lead after just three minutes this time.

There was controversy at the other end with Chris Beardsley’s shot rattling off the underside of the cross bar and bouncing on the goal line before the returning John Johnson headed it away. From the replays it certainly looks a goal and Stevenage can feel hard done by, as they would again before the half was over.

Nana went in for a 50/50 ball with Luke Foster and the Stevenage man’s lunged was adjudged to have been sufficient for a red card and the chances for that first win in an age increased following another border line decision. It seemed harsh to show Foster a red, particularly having seen a lot worse challenges be let off the hook this season. It was a shame to see so many of our players and staff appealing for the red and surrounding the officials as well but on we went and the crucial lead at half time wasn’t to be sniffed at. This was after a bizarre incident that saw a penalty appear to be given to the Cobblers before referee Mr Tierney overturned his decision!

Michael Jacobs tested Day in the early stages of the second half before the Stevenage keeper had to be at his best to match a good effort from Shaun Harrad.

But the break through just before the hour mark brought the house down. Just minutes after Accrington took the lead against Barnet, Michael Uwesu released Kevin Thornton, another to regain his starting place, and his run took him towards goal. Thornton’s right footed shot was saved but Uwesu was following up and finished coolly for 2-0.

With both results going our way, it was celebration time and the game was all but over when John Mousinho’s challenge on Michael Jacobs brought about the second red card of the game and reduced his side to nine men.

The full time whistle produced the expected pitch invasion but the celebrations/relief will have been weighed down a little by the fact that we were down in the mire in the first place. There’s plenty to point fingers at and, like I say, perhaps now is not the perfect time for that. The inquest, though, will begin now and I need to gather my personal thoughts before sharing them!

We can allow a Holiday Monday to relax ahead of the weekend trip to Morecambe now with the challenge of overtaking our opponents on the final day of the season a bit of something to play for. It’s a lot nicer than the alternative...

League Two Preview...30th April...

Spotlight on...Accrington Stanley v Barnet

You know how it goes...”Acccccrington Stanley, who are they?2”...”Exacccctly”

Who’d have thought that those two little lads supping milk would be quoted in years to come not as the slur as was originally intended but ironically instead as the aforementioned club rose to prominence back in the Football League.

It’s not bad playing for Stanley these days and the joke may be on us now because we really need them to continue their emergence as promotion candidates by beating Barnet at the Crown Ground on Saturday afternoon.

It would be a dream finale to the season for John Coleman, who is the modern day Mr Accrington having joined the club way back in 1999 when the club were battling it out in the Northern Premier League. Three promotions later and Stanley had turned into a club quoted more for their football rather than for an 80’s advertisement. Coleman’s form didn’t drop either and he impressively led the club to safety in his first season before ever increasingly finishing in higher league positions each season since their elevation to League Two in 2006.

Lat season’s fifteenth was the best they’ve done but this time around there’s been an improvement that not even the most optimistic Stanley fan could have predicted.

Defeat at the hands of Saturday’s opponents Barnet back December 11th left the club in eighteenth and expectant of just another season trying to improve league form. But the winter break, enforced by the weather, seemed to rejuvenate the side and on their return on New Year’s Day came an astounding turn around. It started with an away win at Morecambe but it was at home where momentum began to pick up.

An eleven game unbeaten run at the Crown Ground is still not over and the 0-0 at Shrewsbury last weekend even kept faint automatic promotion hopes alive. But realistically it’s the playoffs that Stanley are chasing and who would bet against them going all the way with the form they’re in going into the final knockings of the season. A fourth promotion under Coleman would be the biggest of them all.

Barnet have gone the other way in the seasons since they themselves rejoined the Football League in 2005 following a four year hiatus in the Conference. After two mid-table finishes, the club narrowly avoided relegation in the last couple of years and were only safe last season thanks to a 1-0 win over Rochdale on the final day.

They may well need another great escape this time around and with the Cobblers and Lincoln wobbling above them there has been no better time for them to hit form. Martin Allen’s three game reign saw momentum pick up and the failings above them have given them belief that they can do it again.

Allen’s acrimonious departure threatened to knock them off course but last weekend saw them end Gillingham’s long unbeaten run before claiming another points at home to Oxford.

Ending another unbeaten sequence on Saturday would go a long way in setting up yet more last day drama for a club that just does not want to say die.

This weekend’s other games...

Chesterfield will be chomping at the bit to get back to winning ways on Friday night as they travel to Torquay hoping to earn the three points needed to force Bury into a must win situation on Saturday in the title race. The Spireites were promoted thanks to United’s draw with Wycombe last week and can go a long way to sealing the top spot if they put a dent into the Gulls’ playoff hopes. They sit just outside the top seven at the moment and have a chance of piling on the pressure for those around them by earning an early three points.

Bury are looking for Torquay to do them a favour before they host Wycombe on Saturday at Gigg Lane. After that thrilling contest on Monday that saw the gap at the top close to two points, they have a chance to take the battle to the last day. Wycombe are in their own promotion dual with Shrewsbury, who they overtook with a 2-0 home win against Crewe on Monday.

That looks like another contest that’s going to the wire and Shrewsbury are at Cheltenham hoping to turn the tide back in their favour once more. The Robins alleviated any relegation fears with victory at Lincoln and go into the game with most of the pressure on their visitors.

The playoff issues will look a lot clearer after this penultimate weekend of the season and it looks like one from four to join Shrewsbury or Wycombe. That means Gillingham can afford no mistakes in their home game with Macclesfield. In fact, should Torquay lose on Friday, all of the others will be playing for a confirmed pace in the top seven going into their own games on Saturday.

Rotherham and Port Vale are hoping for mass slip ups above them but they first have to win their games at Aldershot and at home to Morecambe respectively.

Stockport’s relegation should be confirmed on Saturday and unless they pull off something of a miraculous score line in both of their final two games then they’ll be gone. They go to Crewe in their final away game knowing that by the end of the day their demotion could well be complete.

Lincoln are shaking and no wins in nine means that they’ve been dragged right back into the race. They need to get something at Oxford to avoid still being involved on the last day of the season, particularly with their dismal goal difference, the second worst in the league after Stockport.

Hereford should still be safe despite only picking up one point from nine ahead of their final home game of the season against Bradford who finally passed the fifty point mark with Monday’s 2-1 win over Aldershot. And Burton have a chance to put their fears well and truly behind them as they go to Southend.

Last home game of the season promises high drama...

Northampton Town v Stevenage
League Two
Saturday, April 30th 2011

The tension is becoming too much. For every podcast and newspaper I come across that discusses the permutations of the next couple of games or recalls last day of the season memories there’s a hint of a sickly feeling entering my body.

Why oh why could this not have been over before the last two games? Why did Aldershot have to score so late to equalise in September? Why did not one of the long drawing sequence in January and February turn into a win? It’s these questions that will haunt us should Stevenage beat us on Saturday, for that will guarantee that one way or another this relegation fight goes to the wire irrespective of what Barnet do at Accrington.

I’ve got a good feeling that Stanley will come good so that would leave us with needing a win to bring it home but there’s not a lot more trickier opposition around than Stevenage when you need three points. They themselves, probably working slightly in the favour of the Cobblers, need a win to strengthen their playoff claims which should see them come out and play a little bit at least.

Graham Westley, love him or hate him, has done a fine job in getting his side into the reckoning and will be just as desperate for the points having come this close and this far.

When Ryan Gilligan scored the only goal in a somewhat surprising and rare away win at Broadhall Way it was meant to be the Cobblers that began a run to the top seven, the start of the regular surge in the second half of the season. But those draws began, Sammo was removed and now Gary Johnson has began a surge of his own, leading us to the brink of the Conference! Time for talking about him is not now and we must trust in the players to unite with the new boss to get this result to at the very least put it in our own hands.

Johnson has been at loggerheads with Westley but stands to lose a lot more should his new band of struggling players not get the job done. Westley and Stevenage, having propelled themselves into sixth place with a much needed 1-0 win over Port Vale last weekend, face a worst case scenario of just missing out on the playoffs while Johnson has a reputation at stake and losing his own battle would mean catastrophe if Barnet come up with the goods.

The problems continue off the field with injuries forcing Byron Webster and Leon McKenzie out for the season and Chris Dunn being rushed back into goal with a protective face mask. Kevin Thornton may return after missing a couple of weeks and Marcus Hall and John Johnson may still give him extra defensive options after recovering from their problems.

With tension at the top and bottom for this one, I spoke to Stevenage fan Matthew Kett about his thoughts on the game. Matt runs popular blog FCBoro and gave his views on his team’s manager and playoff expectations...


You've shot up the league in recent months, what's been the secret?
Consistency. Westley seems to have found a team and a system that has worked and stuck to it. An important player in our last 8-10 games has been Luke Foster as he has allowed the likes of John Mousinho and Michael Bostwick to come out of their shells in midfield. Mousinho in particular has been very influential.

There's been some complaints that Stevenage have been overly physical...is that a fair reflection or is there more to it?
It seems to be the tag line that every opposition manager uses after playing us. I don't see it to be fair. We have some strong players like Ashton, Roberts and Bostwick, but we are not a "big" team. I think the opposition just use the "physical" tag because of our direct style of play. It isn't pretty to watch, but it is effective.

Graham Westley wasn't a hugely popular choice of manager on his return to the club...what's he done to change people's minds?
He's been successful. He was the last person that the supporters wanted to take over back in 2008, but he has built a formidable side that has been winning games consistently for nearly 3 seasons now. You can't argue with that, even though the football isn't the most entertaining.

If you do make it to the Playoffs, who do you fancy coming up against based on this season? And who would you be worried about?
I think the final four play-off positions will consist of ourselves, Shrewsbury, Accrington and Gillingham.

I don't fear any of them, but would rather not have to go to Accrington again. It's an absolute hole.

What's your thoughts on the Playoff Final being played at Old Trafford rather than Wembley? Would it take away any of the magic for you?
It wouldn't take any of the magic away. We've been to Wembley 3 times since it's opening in 2007. We could do with a year off!

Who will be the Cobblers' main threats this weekend?
John Mousinho and Lawrie Wilson. Mousinho has been superb recently in a more attacking midfield position. If he plays well then the team usually follows. Wilson is also in good form and will give Marcus Hall a tough afternoon at left back.

Are you ready for League One?
Yes and no. The table doesn't lie and at the moment we are the 6th best team in this division. However, I think it would be very, very tough in League 1 if we got promoted. That's not to say we wouldn't be able to survive. This team is always learning and improving and some of our players like Ashton, Bostwick and Mousinho could easily play at that level.

Cobblers plot to work past physical Stevenage

The rough and tumble reputation that Stevenage are getting for themselves may be a bit over the top at times but Gary Johnson needs to figure out a way of dealing with a big physical test this weekend.

Graham Westley has led his side impressively to the top seven in the last few weeks and though it’s not a style that’s going to please everyone, it’s getting the job done. The Cobblers can identify – last season’s playoff push was built heavily on the back of Bayo Akinfenwa’s fitness and the long ball game up to the big man meant it was route one for a lot of the run-in.

So we can have no complaints if Stevenage come and do the physical job on us on Saturday and instead have to forge our way and think our way past them to try and survive. Matching them probably isn’t going to work so we’ll have to rely on the pace in the side rather than attempting to go man for man. Liam Davis’ fitness could be crucial in that case but it’s hard to tell just yet whether he’ll be available for the crunch game.

It’ll be tough to focus on trying to play a passing game with the stakes so high but with a victory at Broadhall Way earlier in the season the players will be confident of pulling off a league double that would mean we would be safe should Barnet lose at Accrington.

The fans will be crucial. With a big game feel, there’s set to be an increase in Cobblers support as the town unites to get behind their team. Attitudes are changing in that we’re all beginning to battle through now and analyse later which can only be a good thing. The time for talking is in the summer and for now, no matter how, we need to send Stevenage off with nothing!