Ahead of Tuesday's clash with the Cobblers, we caught up with James Heneghan of the Northampton Chronicle & Echo to find out more about our upcoming opponents...
How important was it picking up three points on Saturday against a good team like Newport and was it a shock result?
"It was a very important win in the context of the season. Seven points from seven games prior to Saturday represented a poor return, so victory against Newport came at a good time. The result might have looked a shock to those on the outside, but Cobblers have a surprisingly strong record against teams at the top of the table and the three points were fully merited after a dominant performance."
What is the expectation for this season?
"Fans are expecting a promotion challenge after signing a grand total of 15 players this summer. Manager Keith Curle has completely renovated his squad in a bid to reverse the club's fortunes and with some impressive new players on board, including Nicky Adams and Charlie Goode, a top-seven push is the minimum fans expect."
What kind of game do you expect on Tuesday?
"I expect it to be a closely fought encounter. Cobblers tend to struggle in games where the onus is on them to attack and create chances and I don't think it'll be a particularly open, entertaining contest. Inconsistency has also plagued Northampton over the past couple of seasons so it wouldn't be a shock if they slipped up at the Lamex."
What's the team news going into Tuesday's game?
"Cobblers have quite a lengthy injury list at present. Long-term absentee Alan McCormack (hamstring) might return to the bench, but Ryan Watson (broken collarbone), Reece Hall-Johnson and Steve Arnold (hamstring) remain out while Shaun McWilliams was taken off with a problem against Newport so he too might miss out."
Prediction and goalscorers?
"I will go with a 2-1 win for the Cobblers, with Andy Williams and Nicky Adams grabbing the goals."
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