O’ Donovan strikes to give Cobblers slender lead!

O’ Donovan…third goal in as many games

Northampton Town 1-0 Cheltenham Town

League Two Playoff Semi-Final, First Leg

Thursday, May 2^nd 2013

It’s a long, long way from being over but the fact that the above score line reads in the Cobblers’ favour was always going to be the first and most vital part of any successful bid to reach Wembley. Having gone into the most recent second legs in the playoffs with a deficit (2-0 against Mansfield Town) and an uphill task (Southend holding us to a 0-0 draw at Sixfields) it’s a crucial blow that we’ve struck against a Cheltenham side that are likely to be a lot more up for attacking us come Sunday evening.

After the final whistle last night, and amidst a feeling of us doing the first part of this job right, most of the talk was about how we could and should have been more ahead in the tie going into the crunch game at Whaddon Road. The Cobblers were well worth the victory by the end of the evening and could have added to the wonderfully worked Roy O’ Donovan goal that gives us a very slight advantage.

The fact that a lot of Cheltenham fans are happy with the result this morning says a lot with their own home record meaning that they have every right to think that they are still favourites to go through having kept the score down to 1-0 last night. Their team will have to really up their game, however, to break down a Cobblers side looking to ensure that we don’t fall into the same traps that have seen us finish the League Two season with the second worst away record in the league.

Aidy Boothroyd’s men will take a lot from last night and the final two away games in the league season where they held out for a 0-0 at Wycombe and, more impressively, a 2-2 at Port Vale in a game that we could well have won. Town were more fluent than usual and played some good stuff through the midfield as well as the usual direct balls to the recalled Bayo and the excellent Roy O’ Donovan.

It was Chris Hackett who was the real star of the show, though. The rest against Barnet seemed to have done him good as he terrorised the Rubies’ left hand side all evening. One of his darts down the wing resulted in the only goal of the game as he latched onto a good Bayo through ball to cross beautifully for O’Donovan to score his third in three games with a well taken volley. Cheltenham keeper Scott Brown could have done better with it but would later pull off a stunning save from a Bayo header to keep it at 1-0, a passage of play that could yet save his side’s playoff campaign.

Straight after the goal, Cheltenham had their best opening when Paul Benson found space but shot wide when in a good position in front of goal. The second half saw the visitors close up shop a little but there always seemed a threat when they came forward on the break away. Town were unlucky not to double their lead through that Bayo chance and Hackett’s constant threat on the right hand side.

It did finish just 1-0 but hopefully the performance gives us confidence ahead of Sunday. Key players all stepped up with Nathan Cameron putting in a fine shift at the back as well as notable outings for the likes of Lee Collins, Luke Guttridge, Hackett, Bayo and O’Donovan.

The away form has been awful this season but what better time to put it right than on Sunday afternoon when our fate will be known. Cheltenham will be well up for it and confident despite the deficit so we have to go there and stamp our authority over the game because if we can somehow get into the lead then the Wembley dream will be alive and well. An early going against us, though, could send panic through the ranks and being away from home may work very much against us.

We are only half way but at least we have a good, solid base to work from on Sunday. With over 1,500 Cobblers fans expected to be there it should be a cracking atmosphere at Whaddon Road where we are certainly going to need that twelfth man.

We’ve kept the dream alive – now let’s all finish it off so that we can live it on May 18^th!

Northampton Town v Cheltenham Town: Match Preview

Northampton Town v Cheltenham Town

League Two Playoff Semi-Final, First Leg

Thursday, May 2^nd 2013

So this is it. The playoffs kick off this evening with the Cobblers involved in the end of season lottery for the first time since 2005. Back then, we were beaten by a single goal over two leg against Southend United in a display that was desperately lacking any kind of cutting edge. A year earlier we had been involved in one of the most emotional games we’re ever likely to see at Mansfield Town, going out on penalties after a stonking come back, some shocking refereeing and awful luck in the second leg.

In both of those ties, the Cobblers were at home first and failed to get a good grip on the tie before making the journeys north and east respectively. What we need to do tonight is instead channel the spirit from happier semi-finals at Sixfields – the 3-2 victory over Cardiff City in 1997 and the best night ever to take place on Upton Way, the 3-0 turn around against Bristol Rovers a year later. Both of those were second legs of course and the problem facing us this evening is how far to push it and really go in all guns blazing ahead of a tough, tough away leg on Sunday.

The advantage to going away first is that a draw would be a good result and no doubt Cheltenham would be over the moon with an outcome like that. But Aidy Boothroyd is fired up and Sixfields needs to be the same under the evening summer lights. There should be an electric atmosphere based on some of the build-up already taking place online and no doubt in work places up and down the country this afternoon. Let’s do this!

Cheltenham’s road to the playoffs…

Our opponents were just pipped to automatic promotion by Rotherham United on Saturday but come into the game with a better run-in behind them than the Cobblers. After seeing off Town at the start of the month at Whaddon Road they were beaten by Plymouth at Home Park but recovered to beat eventual League Two champions Gillingham and playoff chasing Exeter City before holding Bradford City to a goalless draw on Saturday.

Yates…winner as a player

Rubies’ playoff history…

The Rubies have a decent record in League Two playoffs having beaten Rushden and Diamonds 3-1 at the Millennium Stadium in the 2002 final and Grimsby Town by the single goal (scored by future Cobbler Steve Guinan) in the 2006 showpiece. In the first instance, now manager Mark Yates captained the side and lifted the trophy for the club he now leads into a fourth playoff campaign.

Last season, Cheltenham were beaten at Wembley by Crewe Alexandra and will be coming into this one hoping to erase all of those memories and make it four finals from four attempts.

 

Team News…

The Cobblers have almost a fully fit squad to choose from with Kelvin Langmead, Clive Platt and Ishmel Demontagnac all coming back into contention. Joe Widdowson is the only one not 100% and who could be left out in favour of Lee Collins. Alex Nicholls is, of course, the only long term absentee after his broken leg back in October against Port Vale.

Cheltenham also have a near to full strength squad available with Harry Hooman the only possible absentee as he is set to sit out for the remainder of the season. Paul Benson is back from an ankle problem and came off the bench in Saturday’s draw with Bradfor.

 

Previous Six Meetings…

01/04/13: Cheltenham 1-0 Cobblers (League Two)

As the Cobblers sat three points ahead of Cheltenham at the start of this month, the Rubies had to win to close the gap on a Town side who still had a chance of automatic promotion. After a quiet first half, Steve Elliot netted the crucial winner on the stroke of half-time to set up a dramatic final few weeks of the season.

08/12/012: Cobblers 2-3 Cheltenham (League Two)

The Cobblers looked set for a good home win when Bayo Akinfenwa scored after just two minutes and Billy Jones put through his own net soon after. But Darren Carter and Chris Zebroski levelled things up before even half an hour had passed and it was left to Darryl Duffy to slot in the winner for a stunning turnaround late on for the visitors.

03/03/12: Cheltenham 2-2 Cobblers (League Two)

Ben Tozer and Bayo Akinfenwa gave the Cobblers a surprise two goal lead at Whaddon Road in the first half but the hosts hit back in the second as Darryl Duffy slotted in a penalty before clinching a point for his side in stoppage time.

20/08/11: Cobblers 2-3 Cheltenham (League Two)

In the second home game of last season, Darryl Duffy opened the scoring from the spot for Cheltenham on eleven minutes but goals either side of half time from Arron Davies and Bayo Akinfenwa steered the game in our favour. The Rubies had other ideas though and Duffy got on the end of a cross from ex-Cobbler Josh Low to level it before Low himself won it ten minutes from time.

08/01/11: Cobblers 1-1 Cheltenham (League Two)

The first of many draws in 2011 saw Billy McKay give the Cobblers an early lead before Wes Thomas netted the equaliser just after half-time.

09/10/10: Cheltenham 1-0 Cobblers (League Two)

Dean Beckwith’s red card at Whaddon Road saw the Cobblers reduced to ten men within the opening quarter of the game. It took until the hour mark, though, for Cheltenham to take advantage and Brian Smikle scored the winner.

 

The man in the middle…

The man trusted with the first leg is someone who has been involved in controversy this season in Mick Russell. Russell was the man who showed two yellow cards to Sheffield Wednesday’s Jeremy Helan and failed to send him off during a game at Huddersfield Town back in December. Russell was taken off duty for just under a month after the incident and went on to referee seventeen more games this season. Russell was in the middle for the Cobblers’ 1-0 win at Dagenham and Redbridge last September and for the dramatic cup replay at Bradford in which Town lost on penalties. He last officiated a Cheltenham game in August of last year, a 2-2 draw at Torquay.

 

Prediction…

It’s so hard to predict a playoff game, especially one that involves your own team. I’m dreading putting anything down for the ‘kiss of death’ implications. So I’ll go for a draw to keep me from anyone saying it was all my fault. This should be a tight, tense game that is likely to be well in the balance come Sunday. 1-1.

Barnet down with a whimper as Cobblers set up Rubies tie

O’ Donovan…another Cobblers goal

Northampton Town 2-0 Barnet

League Two

Saturday, April 27^th 2013

It’s become a staple to see a certain set of photos and videos at this time of the year. You know the ones – supporters up and down the land with heads in their hands, tears rolling down their painted faces, weeping into their fancy dress costumes and being consoled by their fellow fan. Indeed the Cobblers have made us into those very news items over the years, most recently at Elland Road where a hardy band of souls dug deep for one last time only to see their side surrender a place in League One at the death. We suffered together in that corner of the old stadium and hoped that we wouldn’t have any feelings like that again for a long, long time.

So when Barnet came to town on Saturday looking for the victory that would ensure a fourth consecutive last day escape from the drop to the Conference you would have expected similar images all over the place when they failed to pick up anything and realised that, due to AFC Wimbledon’s 2-1 win over Fleetwood Town, this time they were down.

But what transpired was less emotional out and more physical pour out – pouring out of the gates that is, just as the Bees players came over for their consolatory greetings. The mood in the visitor’s end reflected what had just gone on in front of them. The hearty fight to the death never materialised. There was to be no more heroics, no more saviours and no more death defying and unthinkable victories that would save them this time. In fact, Barnet were relegated with a whimper and you have to feel for those supporters who appeared to have given up the ghost as soon as the second Town goal went in.

I wish them luck. It’s not easy to be relegated and particularly to the Conference where more and more it feels like a resting place for former league clubs, all battling to reclaim past glories. I don’t want to start glorifying a relegation that must have hurt so many people and would rather now focus on the brighter side of the day, that of the Cobblers’ winning end to the league campaign and what is now building up to be an exciting time with playoff tickets selling like hot cakes on the first day of release.

Town took a long, long time to get going and the first half was a bit of a haze. It felt very much like Barnet were waiting for something to happen at Kingsmeadow before making their first move. There were no scores on any doors up until the break but as soon as the whistle went for the start of the second it seemed like something clicked and you could tell that panic and realisation had finally set in with the Barnet faithful.

Just past the hour mark, word filtered through that Wimbledon had taken the lead through Gary Alexander’s header. Soon after, the Cobblers took the lead as Roy O’Donovan raced onto a through ball to coolly slot the ball into the corner of Graham Stack’s net. Home fans celebrated but there was a brief bit of hope for those to our right as Andy Mangan had equalised for Fleetwood against Wimbledon and Barnet were suddenly safe again.

Almost as quickly, though, their hopes were obliterated as Town took a 2-0 lead through a well taken Luke Guttridge shot from a fine Bayo Akinfenwa hold up and pass whilst Wimbledon won a penalty at Kingsmeadow and Jack Midson converted to seal the fate of our opposition and his former club.

Bayo had replaced David Moyo in attack in the second half and it was this change, as well as the terrific work rate and doggedness of Luke Guttridge that helped us to do our bit and at least clinch sixth place. Bayo has work to do to get back into form but his touches and all round play signals a return to form. Guttridge’s recall has arguably been one of the key elements of Town bouncing back from the home defeat to York City and giving us hope that the playoff campaign could actually end in glory.

For that to happen, we’ll need to get past a team that have done the league double over us this season in Cheltenham Town. The Rubies’ draw with Bradford City means that they dropped to fifth thanks to Burton’s good home win over champions Gillingham and they will now provide the opposition for what will be a tense and enthralling couple of games with a trip to Wembley the ultimate prize.

They’ve demonstrated in both of those victories over us that they can be resilient (coming from two down to win 3-2 at Sixfields) and determined (edging the Cobblers out 1-0 at Whaddon Road) and it’s going to be need a huge effort for us to end up walking down Wembley Way for the first time in fifteen years.

The thought of that sends shivers down spines and with tickets selling fast (only 230 Cobblers tickets for the away leg out of 1500 remain at the end of Sunday) we’re sure to have a massive backing. Thursday sees us host the first leg, another sell out for sure, whilst the return leg is at Whaddon Road on Sunday evening.

Until then, I hope you all have a good few days…from past experience the waiting is the hardest part for the playoff games and this should be no different. Get right behind the team for this and we could be etching more names into the history books to go alongside the likes of Atkins, Woody, Clarkson, Frain, Razor, Sammo, Rennie, Parrish, Hunter, Gayle, Lee, Larry, Deano Peer and Jason White White White.

Bring on the playoffs!!

Northampton Town v Barnet: Match Preview

Northampton Town v Barnet

League Two

Saturday, March 27^th 2013

And so it comes down to one final league game for the Cobblers. Since the start of the season it always felt like this match would have major implications for the standings for at least one end of the League Two table with the Cobblers and Barnet scheduled to face off in the final game. The Cobblers have secured a playoff place but are still in with a shout of toppling potential semi-final opponents Burton Albion with a victory combined with a Brewers defeat at home to Gillingham.

For Barnet, though, consequences are that bit higher. A dramatic late winner against Wycombe in the final ever game at Underhill last weekend lifted them back out of the bottom two ahead of AFC Wimbledon. Any sort of win from Wimbledon, though, puts the Bees right back in trouble and the fans packing out the South Stand are likely to be on the edge of their seats for most of the afternoon.

With a victory guaranteeing safety for Edgar David’s troops and the carrot of a home second leg in the playoffs there to be shot at for the Cobblers this should be a tension filled afternoon at Sixfields as we prepare for the end of season lottery…

Explosive end to Underhill tenure…

After much talk and speculation, Barnet confirmed their move to The Hive Stadium in February of this year, meaning that last weekend’s game against Wycombe Wanderers would be the last to be played at the old Underhill ground. Jake Hyde scored a late goal to give the Bees the lead before, incredibly, Graham Stack saved a last minute penalty from Wycombe’s Joel Grant to preserve a precious victory that lifted his side out of the drop zone following back to back defeats.

Four in a row?…

Barnet have survived the dreaded drop to the Conference on each of the last THREE final days of the season, beating Rochdale 1-0 at Underhill in 2010 to stay up, similarly seeing off Port Vale 1-0 in 2011 and then, a year ago, beating Burton Albion 2-1 to hold off Hereford United. Will it be four in a row come Saturday at 5pm?

Tickets selling fast for big final day…

All of Barnet’s 1,300 tickets have sold out for their trip to Sixfields and with only around 400 home tickets left going into Friday morning there should be a cracking atmosphere at Sixfields from both sides.

 

Langmead…fighting for fitness

Team News…

The Cobblers could rest key players such as Clive Platt, Chris Hackett and Bayo Akinfenwa ahead of the playoffs whilst Kelvin Langmead may not be risked after his recent injury that’s kept him out of the last few matches.

Barnet welcome back Barry Fuller from suspension while Luke Gambin is pushing for a start on the wing after coming off the bench in the 1-0 win over Wycombe last weekend.

 

Previous Six Meetings…

19/10/12: Barnet 4-0 Cobblers (League Two)

Edgar Davids played his first game in two years to help his new club to a first win of the season against the Cobblers thanks to four second half goals. Krystian Pearce put the Bees in front before further goals from Andrew Yiadom, John Oster and Anthony Edgar wrapped it up.

21/01/12: Cobblers 1-2 Barnet (League Two)

Bayo Akinfenwa put the Cobblers into the lead in the clubs’ last meeting but Barnet recovered and turned the game around in the second half with Mark Byrne and Ricky Holmes doing the damage.

01/10/11: Barnet 1-2 Cobblers (League Two)

An important win at Underhill for the Cobblers just over a year ago. Ricky Holmes put the home side in front after fifteen minutes but Aaron Davies equalised before Ben Tozer scored a dramatic winner in the last minute for Town.

05/02/11: Cobblers 0-0 Barnet (League Two)

Tame stalemate at Sixfields in the 2010/11 season as both sides have to settle for a point.

20/11/10: Barnet 4-1 Cobblers (League Two)

One of the most disappointing afternoons of that season came at Underhill despite Leon McKenzie putting Town in front early on. Liam Davis was then sent off, though, and Steve Kabba levelled from the spot a few minutes later before edging his side into the lead just before the break. Grant Basey made it 3-1 just after half time and then Ricky Holmes put the icing on the cake in stoppage time.

28/12/09: Barnet 0-0 Cobblers (League Two)

Another goalless game between the sides despite Barnet being reduced to ten men on the hour mark as Dean Sinclair was given his marching orders.

 

The Man in the middle…

The man in charge for the final league game of the season is Andy Haines. Haines was last the official for a Cobblers game back in March of last year for the 3-1 home win over Aldershot Town.

 

Prediction…

Anything can happen on the last day of the season and Barnet have been the proof of that over the last few seasons, escaping at the last on numerous occasions. The difference this time is that they don’t have to win to survive but they’ll still be desperate to ensure that they don’t have to check on Wimbledon’s progress. Rumours of a weakened Cobblers team are hopefully only partly true so I’ll go for a big finish and some nervy Bees fans! 2-1.

Be loud, be proud and be good!

I’m going to write this particular blog trying not to sound too much like a parent. At the moment it’s hard enough keeping a two year old from running away off up the garden path so believe me when I say that I don’t mean to tell anyone, especially the fantastic supporters of my beloved football team, what to do.

But as the last day of the season rolls around we have to prepare for the usual ‘end of season’ activities and in particular the envisaged pitch invasion that seems to take place each and every year no matter where we finish in the league. There’s also been videos popping up on YouTube featuring Cobblers fans throwing flares onto the pitch at Port Vale and of Vale fans confronting our fans instead of celebrating their own promotion.

The game against Barnet is of grave importance to the visitors and of high significance to us in terms of trying to finish in fifth place in League Two. Tensions will be high from the South Stand and as home supporters who aren’t in that position I can only hope and pray that we show the away fans some ounce of respect throughout the day.

I was there at Elland Road when we were relegated a few seasons back and the intimidation from the Leeds fans from both sides of us made it even harder to take that we were going down and they were heading into the playoffs. I’m sure many of you were also there and can relate to that pain. We need to, only in my opinion mind, remember that Barnet aren’t just in danger of going out of the division but out of the entire Football League. Yes, they have irritated us in the past, beaten us to a pulp in games where we just didn’t turn up and, perhaps worst of all, introduced us to the marauding lunacy of a certain Mr Barry Fry. But they, like us, are a football club and have supporters that will be in the south stand on Saturday that have travelled across the country just like you and me have over the last however many years to see their side struggle to stay in the league.

I’m not in any way saying that we should be light on the Bees. If they lose and end up with less points than AFC Wimbledon then they deserve to be in the Conference next season. It would be a fitting way to get rid of them after some of the grief they’ve caused and my personal preference is actually for Wimbledon to stay up. But there’s no reason at all for us to give ourselves a bad name by invading the pitch at the end of the game and confronting supporters who are much like ourselves and love the same game we do.

We should also keep in mind that this is the final game of the season that won’t see emotions running high from our end of things. This team has performed wonderfully over the campaign and given us a club to be proud of. We came so close to getting into the top three but the playoffs aren’t exactly the worst consolation prize in the world. These players that have given us this chance of promotion should be celebrated and unless we do go all the way to Wembley this is realistically our last chance to show our appreciation. If we bow out in the semi-finals of the playoffs it’s likely that the team who beat us will hog the limelight and celebrations as we trudge off into the summer.

So this day is perfect for us to give the players a send-off for the playoffs that will show our pride in what they’ve done. A couple of years ago when we turned things completely around under Ian Sampson the team never got the recognition they deserved on the last day because of the pitch invasion. We’d be wise to give this group a proper celebration of what they’ve done so far and really give them buoyancy ahead of next Thursday’s first leg.

So let’s be different this season, let’s get right behind our team, show respect to those in the away end and go into the playoffs with the club in a positive light.

Enjoy it and be proud of what we’ve done. See you in those playoffs!

Playoffs it is as Cobblers battle to draw

O’ Donovan…Cobblers goal

Port Vale 2-2 Northampton Town

League Two

Saturday, April 20^th 2013

And so it’s settled. After 45 games and with one remaining this season, the Cobblers will be entering the playoffs for the fifth time. It was settled by Exeter City losing at home to Cheltenham Town but at the same time, Town picked up a point and a performance to be proud of at a Port Vale side that ensured that, barring a ridiculous swing of goal difference next week, they will be in League One next season.

All talk of that division and the Cobblers was laughed off last weekend after defeat to York City at Sixfields but steady draws at both Wycombe and now Vale have put us back on a solid footing ahead of the final game of the season at home to Barnet in seven days’ time. We knew that it was a long shot to get third but what we needed was a performance to give us hope going into the playoffs and that’s what we got by all accounts at Vale Park.

Aidy Boothroyd made the bold move to bring in eighteen year old David Moyo to the starting line-up for his professional debut and dropped Bayo Akinfenwa to the bench. Kelvin Langmead was spotted warming up but he was there just to go through the motions. Clive Platt was missing but most likely being rested ahead of what already looked like a locked in playoff bid before today.

When Clarke Carlisle put the Cobblers in front I think all of us had a cheeky look at the table to see if there was any way at all that we could claw ourselves back into the running for third but it never looked likely even with the lead and the three points that it would have given us.

Vale were on the hunt for the win that would take them into League One and were level when former Cobblers loan man Liam Chilvers headed in from Tom Pope’s cross. It was then about getting to the break with no further damage, though Luke Guttridge had rattled the bar while his side were still in front.

Roy O’ Donovan, produced something from nothing to put Town back into the lead but five minutes from time came the moment that the home fans had been nervously awaiting when their former defender Lee Collins sliced the ball into his own net. Because of a vastly superior goal difference – the best in League Two in fact – than the chasing pack it was enough for the pitch invasion at the end as home fans celebrated a promotion that they’ve looked like achieving for many months. Congratulations to them on that.

For the Cobblers, Exeter’s defeat was enough to make sure of a playoff place but this point picked up and the way in which it was forged out will give us bags of hugely needed confidence ahead of the end of season lottery that will be coming up following the Barnet game. That game now has the importance of really building up momentum. The Bees picked up a late winner against Wycombe to move out of the bottom two but are just a point clear of danger going into their now traditional last game of the season drama.

I’m sure Boothroyd will want to rest some players next weekend but it makes more sense to me to make sure of a victory that would give us all a real lift and crucial momentum going into a semi-final, double legged affair for the first times since 2005. If we could win and Burton end up losing their last game at home to newly crowned champions Gillingham we will nick in to take fifth place and the important second leg would be at Sixfields.

Either way, we need to finish strong and make sure that everyone coming to the Barnet game and those listening at home are right behind this playoff campaign. There’s been a bit of negativity in the last few weeks but now we need to focus on what’s ahead and really go for it because the reality is that we are two games away from Wembley.

That sentence enough should be motivation enough. Bring it on!

Fortress breached!

Chambers…City opener

Northampton Town 0-2 York City

League Two

Saturday, April 13th 2013

The run that’s taken the Cobblers into this race for promotion has almost entirely been forged on the back of home form. Sixfields has become a place to recuperate from away defeats, a sanctuary where we know that results are best achieved. But on Saturday afternoon, the fortress was breached and, combined with other results going gloriously against us, that led to the near collapse of dreams of automatic promotion.

The Minstermen were likely dark horses despite their league position, rejuvenated under their new boss, former Northern Ireland chief Nigel Worthington and coming into the game looking to jump out of the bottom three. It’s a similar situation to the one we found ourselves in a little over a year ago. Aidy Boothroyd had brought his own brand of football in, turned the club around and helped us to safety. Worthington still has work to do but is well on course on the back of this display that overpowered the Cobblers and sunk us into questions of even making the playoffs.

The one saving grace in that respect was that Exeter City and Chesterfield – the two chasing sides – picked up just a point and have just six to play for each. Town now sit in sixth place with just one more win needed to guarantee a spot in that lottery. There’s still outside hope of somehow toppling the likes of Burton, Cheltenham and Rotherham to climb back to third place but the performance against York appears to have suddenly sent us all into gloom.

But what if this was exactly what we needed? I remember back in the year 2000 when the plucky Halifax Town came to Sixfields needing points for their own battle against the drop. The Cobblers had just lost at Plymouth but were a shoe in to bounce back. 3-2 up at the break, it looked like early jitters had been redeemed until Halifax fought back in dramatic style to first draw level and then win it in stoppage time.

The Cobblers went on to win their final six games that followed, culminating in a day that we will never forget at Torquay when all three sides (one was in the process of being built) of the ground were rocking with sections of Town fans. Now I’m not saying that we’re about to win all of our remaining fixtures to nip in for third place but it’s an example of things looking dire and suddenly turning around.

I remember feeling that it was all over on that day against the men from the Shay and I’m getting similar feelings from many after this defeat to York. There are, of course, only three games to go but rather than seeing this as the doom and gloom that it could be, we should perhaps be relieved that we’ve been ‘found out’ at home at least in time for the playoffs which are looking like a worst case scenario.

You have to give credit to York themselves who sounded like they came to Sixfields to play football and come away with more than just a point. They left with all three and good luck to them. This was a moment that they will look back on as key if they’re to stay in the Football League.

What Aidy Boothroyd needs to do now is to make the changes that most supporters can see are needed and be bold enough to really go for it for these three cup finals that we now face. Luke Guttridge needs to start to liven up a midfield that seems bent on caution and unfortunately for Bayo, the Beast Mode era appears to have stalled. Clive Platt, if fit, should be handed his chance once again.

Let’s concentrate on that Wycombe game. It’s a last chance to bring ourselves to the brink of being in with a chance of the top three again. Five points separate us from Burton who stole a crucial 1-0 win against Plymouth deep into stoppage time on Saturday and if we can somehow make that gap two points then it’s game on again no matter who the opposition are on Saturday.

Yes, alright it’s Port Vale who will be in search of the points they need to win promotion themselves. But let’s worry about that once Tuesday is over. If Aidy can dip into his locker and pull something, anything out of it for the trip to Adams Park it not only gives the players belief again but also gives the supporters something to cling on to. One more win is needed for the playoffs, three for a chance at automatic promotion. It’s very unlikely but when have we ever done things simply, without taking the supporters on a roller coaster journey before the final reckoning?

Keep the faith and keep holding on to anything you can…this is NOT over yet.