Northampton Town v York City
League Two
Saturday, January 11th 2014
On the opening day of the season, York City dealt a blow to the Cobblers that kick started a five month period of utter despair and ended with Aidy Boothroyd’s departure from the club. As we prepare to do battle with the Minster Men again, this time at Sixfields, Andy King is hoping that the squad continues to fight for his cause with victory over City likely to lead to him getting the job on a more full time basis.
King has masterminded a solid run of away performances and results in the last three games that have put us back on the brink of climbing off the bottom of the table. He’s done enough to fight off any other possible candidates over the last couple of weeks and this could well be his final plea to David Cardoza in his first home game leading the side.
York have been on their own mission to get out of trouble over the Christmas and New Year period and come to Sixfields having lost just once in eight games. That run started with five straight draws but, after defeat at Bury, they’ve just won back to back games at the start of 2014. A single goal victory over Morecambe on New Year’s Day was followed by a 3-1 win against Dagenham and Redbridge last weekend thanks to a Ryan Bowman strike and a double from Wes Fletcher.
All that has seen them rise to seventeenth in League Two but Nigel Worthington’s men are only six points ahead of the Cobblers so it’s a big chance for us to bring them right back into the pack.
We’re likely to name our new manager by next week so this is probably the last chance for King to audition – victory against the Minster Men and you would think the job will be his.
Blair…new signing
There have been plenty of ins and outs for both sides over the last week, meaning that there could be a whole load of debutants on show. The Cobblers yesterday drafted in Matty Blair on a month’s loan from Fleetwood Town with the winger going straight into the squad for a game against the club that he helped to win the FA Trophy and the Conference Playoffs in 2012. Joe Widdowson’s injury also meant that Andy King was short of a left back so he dipped into the loan market once again to sign Sheffield United man Sean McGinty, also on a month long deal. McGinty started his career at Charlton Athletic before moving to Manchester United as a youngster. After several loan moves, he signed for the Blades in the summer of last year. He also should slot straight into the Cobblers side this afternoon. Going out the door, though, is Clive Platt who was released from the club this week. Hallam Hope and Antonio German should lead the line once again today after they both started at Newport last week with Hope notching a debut goal. Danny Emerton will miss the game with a broken nose.
York could hand debuts to new signings as well with midfielder Russell Penn arriving from Cheltenham Town this week and Adam Reed signing from Burton Albion. Keith Lowe has also made his loan spell a permanent one and all three should feature at Sixfields. Ryan Jarvis, who scored the winner in the last game between the sides back in August, is a doubt with a thigh injury.
Previous Six Meetings…
03/08/13: York 1-0 Cobblers (League Two)
On the opening day of this season, Darren Carter marked his Cobblers debut by getting sent off before Ryan Jarvis netted the only goal of the game in stoppage time.
13/04/13: Cobblers 0-2 York (League Two)
The Cobblers went into this one on the back of a ten game winning run at home but York, breathing fresh life under Nigel Worthington, hadn’t read the script and Ashley Chambers gave them an early lead. John Johnson’s own goal sealed the win for the visitors and left Town’s hopes of automatic promotion flagging.
06/12/12: York 1-1 Cobblers (League Two)
On a cold December Tuesday night, Matty Blair gave City the lead mid-way through the first half and it looked like his side were on the way to all three points when Cobblers striker Louis Moult was sent off just before half-time. But Bayo Akinfenwa popped up to score for ten man Town on the hour mark and we held out for a good point at Bootham Crescent.
17/01/04: Cobblers 2-1 York (League Two)
As the Cobblers were getting used to the new management team under Colin Calderwood, the progression towards an eventual playoff place was helped by an important home win here. Richard Walker got us off the mark on twenty minutes before Jon Parkin’s own goal doubled our lead. Lee Bullock got one back late on but Town had done enough for three crucial points.
16/08/03: York 1-0 Cobblers (League Two)
The Cobblers’ first away game of the 2003/04 season saw us sink to a single goal defeat at Bootham Crescent with Lee Nogan’s strike right on the stroke of half time enough to win it for the home side.
05/02/00: Cobblers 3-0 York (League Two)
A comfortable afternoon at Sixfields for the Cobblers with goals from Ian Sampson, Steve Howard and Sean Parrish helping Kevin Wilson’s men towards what would be automatic promotion from League Two.
The man in the middle…
Graham Scott is the man in charge at Sixfields. Scott has mainly been officiating in the Championship and League One this season and last oversaw a Cobblers game in our 2-1 win at Southend in February of last year, sending off the Shrimpers’ Bilel Mohsni.
Prediction…
It’s pretty much make or break for Andy King this weekend and the players have been challenged to keep up their recent improvements in order to keep him in charge. York are on decent form but I think this could just be the weekend that we get off the bottom and start looking forwards. I’ll go for a 2-1 Cobblers win.
A Load Of Cobblers 