On The Move!

Apologies for the lack of content over the last few important days of this season…like a certain claret kitted football team we all know and love, I’ve been on the move over the weekend. And, in direct correlation to the antics of the Cobblers in the last two matches, moving house was an experience that had a few tough moments, almost had us in a panic but that eventually was salvaged at the end thanks to some solid team work.

Last night’s last-gasp victory at Burton had to be looked up on phone internet because even teletext, let alone the Internet, is out of bounds at the moment as boxes are slowly but surely unpacked in the village of Peasedown St John on the outskirts of Bath (I’m told former Cobblers keeper and George Best’s nemesis from the 8-2 drubbing Kim Book has, or has had in the past, family here).

So it was with utter delight that I read of Kelvin Langmead’s winner in stoppage time that cast aside Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Accrington as merely a reminder that the job isn’t done yet. Perhaps in the long term, Saturdays reverse will turn out to be a positive as it focused the players’ minds once again to get a job done and bring a disastrously out of form Burton into the mix and to within three points of ourselves going into a crunch Sixfields meeting with Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

That’s a game that could well and truly catapult us out of danger should three more points be gained and a further gap be made. The Pilgrims are still in deep but will be chomping at the bit to pull us back in as well.

I’ll have to find an alternative mode of score finding again for that one because of a switch over of Internet not coming until next Tuesday but hopefully by this time next week I can reflect on more good news from Planet Sixfields.

Until then, have a good weekend…see you on t’other side!

Accrington Stanley v Northampton Town: Match Preview

As things begin to look more and more positive, the Cobblers go into a clash with Accrington Stanley in the rare position for this season of being in better form than the opposition. The high still being felt from Tuesday night’s morale boosting win at Dagenham and Redbridge will hopefully be hanging around the squad as we head north for the next part of Operation Survival.

Aidy Boothroyd won’t be letting anyone rest on their laurels ahead of this one and we need to put to bed some dreadful memories of the trip to the Crown Ground last season where three goals before half-time killed the Cobblers off before we’d had a chance to get going. The Boothroyd squad is a lot healthier than the Johnson squad of those times though and if we can pick up something here then momentum will still be with us for the final furlong of the season.

Form…

Accrington are on a poor run of form and sit second bottom of the League Two form table having picked up just three points from a possible eighteen available. Those three points have come in the last three games though and include good draws against Port Vale and, last weekend, away at high flying Southend United where Padraig Amond netted a stoppage time equaliser despite his side being reduced to ten men earlier in the game.

The Cobblers have won three on the bounce having beaten Bristol Rovers and Aldershot Town at home before taking all three points from Dagenham on Tuesday night.

Team News…

Accrington boss Paul Cook has completed the emergency loan signing of Scunthorpe’s Bobby Grant this week with the striker, who began his career with Stanley and made over fifty appearances for the club, agreeing an initial one month spell back at the Crown Ground. He goes straight into the squad for tomorrow’s game. But Michael Liddle, having been sent off in last weekend’s draw with Southend United, misses out through suspension.

The Cobblers’ only squad change could see new signing Anthony Charles given a place in the side after completing a deal, which keeps him at Sixfields until the end of the season, this week.

Previous Six Meetings…

06/08/11: Cobblers 0-0 Accrington

The opening day of the season saw the Cobblers, under the stewardship of Gary Johnson, held to a competitive goalless draw by Stanley at Sixfields.

02/04/11: Accrington 3-1 Cobblers

Town slipped to a worrying defeat as a first half blitz sent us closer to the relegation zone. Ian Craney struck twice in the opening half an hour before Sean McConville made it three before the break. A Michael Jacobs consolation mid-way through the second half was nowhere near enough and Stanley continued their march towards the playoffs.

14/08/10: Cobblers 0-0 Accrington

The sides met in the first league game at Sixfields last season as well with a stale mate and a frustrating afternoon for the home support following a promising win over Brighton in the Carling Cup the previous Tuesday.

09/02/10: Cobblers 4-0 Accrington

An important victory for the Cobblers, who at that point were on the way up the table in search of a late playoff surge. Bayo Akinfenwa gave us the lead and a second half brace from Billy McKay combined with a Luke Guttridge strike sealed a comfortable afternoon.

18/08/09: Accrington 0-3 Cobblers

A big win to kick start the 2009/10 season and to prolong Stuart Gray’s reign at the club. Steve Guinan netted his first for the Cobblers early on and Bayo slotted in a penalty fifteen minutes later. Billy McKay would score the first of three goals against Stanley that season to round off the victory.

25/04/61: Cobblers 2-1 Accrington

En route from promotion from Division Four, the Cobblers picked up a crucial win at the County Ground and ended up finishing in third place behind Peterborough United and Crystal Palace.

The Man In The Middle…

Michael Naylor is in charge on Saturday having previously refereed the Cobblers’ 2-1 cup upset at Ipswich Town earlier this season and Accrington’s 1-1 draw at Macclesfield in November. Naylor was officiating the 2-2 draw between Torquay and Bristol Rovers last weekend.

Prediction…

There’s renewed confidence in the Cobblers ranks these days and although it’s a tough looking trip on paper there’s no reason why we can’t extend the good run with a point here. 1-1