Northampton Town vs Torquay United 24/8/13

bengull · Post by **bengull** » 18 Aug 2013, 21:03

I think it is about time we draw a line under the Oxford defeat and move on to another tough looking fixture. A Saturday afternoon at San Sixfields; a place where traditionally we have struggled. Indeed I have been present at each of the previous four encounters and seen 0-0, 2-2, 0-0 and 1-0 defeat. Take out our victory on the opening day of the 2003/04 promotion campaign and our form there is nightmarish.

Dale Tonge is available for selection again following suspension, I would expect him to regain his place at right-back which leaves a question mark over the left back slot. I reckon Nicho will regain his place for this one but patience in him is probably (and extremely sadly) wearing thin. A contributing factor to our defeat against Oxford was the ease and regularity with which their strikers found space in behind our back four. I really hope this issue has been addressed and our back four is moving more as a unit and with better communication. I know it's early days of the season but so much success is built from the back.

Elliott Benyon is also back in contention and it will be interesting to see how AK goes up top. Whilst Ball and Hawley offer good physicality - which will doubtlessly be important against a typically robust Northampton team- neither are the most mobile, Benyon's movement and tireless running over the pitch might well be a factor that sees him included.

Jordan Chappell injected a bit of sparkle into proceedings when introduced on Saturday, I would hope that he has done enough to earn another chance on the wing. For me you should play wingers on their natural side, Cameron does not look comfortable on the right hand side. I would also persevere with Bodin, his work rate can not be faulted, surely fortune has got to turn for him sooner or later?

Hopefully after another uninterrupted week on the training ground Alan Knill can iron out the issues that have littered our start to the season and get us playing the brand of football that we have seen glimpses of so far. The parts of the machine have yet to come together into one cohesive unit for an entire 90 minutes, but there is enough potential there to know that when it all 'clicks' we can be a dangerous and effective team.

This match sees both Ben Harding and Ian Morris come up against their former employers in a battle of who can impress the most people inside the stadium. Neither set of fans where glowing in their endorsements of either midfielder as they exchanged clubs, it will be interesting to see who has the most impact, and who feels they have the biggest point to prove. From a personal point of view I thought Ian Morris had far more capabilities than he was ever given the opportunity to display, hindered by being played out of position I think we all would have benefitted from seeing him deployed in a more central role. He was starting to play with slightly more influence at the start of last term before injury unfortunately curtailed his season. That said I was slightly surprised to see him handed the captaincy in his first appearance for the Cobblers.

From our point of view, Harding has flattered to deceive. I walked away from the opening day of the season impressed with our midfield signing, his ability to do the simple things, to knit it all together, and on either foot, sadly in the two league games since he has been less than impressive. That said 3 games in is no sort of time to be judging new signings and he will be eager to put a good performance in at Sixfields to silence those all too happy to see him leave. But with Nathan Craig and Damon Lathrope getting splinters in their behinds I would say a place in centre midfield is certainly up for grabs.

As per normal Northampton have started their season with plenty of hype but little substance. Last season's play-off finalists saw another overhaul in playing staff overseen by battle-weary manager Aidy Boothroyd over the close season and yet have started the season with two defeats and a win. (York 1-0 NTFC, NTFC 3-1 Newport, Southend 2-0 NTFC) Once again falling short of the exceedingly high expectations set by a group of fans who for so long now believe they are better than this league.

In the most recent defeat to Southend, Northampton lined up thus:

01 Duke, 02 Amankwaah, 03 Widdowson, 12 Tozer, 06 Collins, 04 Carter, 11 Hackett (sent off) 19 Emerton, 17 Deegan, 10 O'Donovan, 25 Blyth

Substitutes
13 Snedker, 07 Demontagnac 08 Morris, 09 Platt, 16 Hooper, 22 Dias, 27 Toney

By all accounts Southend had a routine day at the office, perhaps we should be fearful of a backlash in front of their own fans?

Sixfields stadium offers a pleasant day out but is a total bastard to get to. Your best bet is to take the M4 and turn off the motorway just after Swindon allowing for a long ball-aching drive through rural Oxfordshire a lot of which is single carriageway so be hopeful that no agricultural vehicles/articulated lorries/anyone over the age of 60 hold you up. Alternatively you could go M5/M42/M1 southbound, but this is no quicker, and as the team coach found to its detriment 3 years ago, a bigger likelihood of getting caught in motorway traffic.

Once you get there you will find precious little in the way of drinking establishments but plenty of eateries. Parking is plentiful via a big car-park opposite the stadium. Sixfields itself is a decent little stadium, perfect for a club of the moderate size of the Cobblers, the away end is all seated and offers a decent view. Each time I have visited Sixfields we have had a decent away following, I see no reason why this won't be the case once again this Saturday despite of our slow start.

Another bonus is that our Austrian counterpart will be there, resplendent in his new Billy Bodin no.10 shirt, Eidelweiss in one hand, Mozart best of CD in the other. A complete gentleman, I look forward to his company once again, I guarantee if you spent the match standing next to him you would see a side of him that doesn't quite translate onto football forums.

So to conclude, Sixfields, a place where we have a horrific record, where you are unlikely to see a football match of Barcelona-esque proportions, where you might be forgiven for thinking you had the misfortune of suffering a dreadful mix up and mistakenly found yourself at the rugby ground instead. But given their pedestrian start to the season, and given snippets of excellence in our start to the season, somewhere where we should be travelling to with no fear at all.

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 18 Aug 2013, 23:00

Ease and regularity with which they got behind our back four?

They had three shots and scored three goals, one from a corner, one hopeful punt and one counter attack. What game did you watch?

Decent OP that, reckon you might have some Austrian in you, somewhere.

I'd hope that Harding would get the nod, not because he deserves it over Craig or anyone else, but because he might turn it on heading back to his former club. I haven't paid too much attention to their play so far, but if it's anything like last year, we're in for a dreadful spectacle. They were the ugliest side I saw last year and they were roundly and rightly thrashed in the Playoff Final. Earning promotion based on that style and level of "football" would have made a mockery of the whole damn thing.

Forgetting the mathematical anomaly of our record there, I think we might be able to pick up a point or more here. They're no great shakes and we have looked at least as good as every team we've faced so far, for at least a half of each match.

Matt.

tktufc91 · Post by **tktufc91** » 18 Aug 2013, 23:15

Will be making the trip by train as its one of the closer and easier games for me to get too.

I have a feeling that the team will click and we will win. Not by much, not without its moments but we will get our first win on the board. No idea why I'm feeling this way, I just think it will happen. It's got to happen soon right?

From what I heard on the radio of the Oxford game, we had plenty of chances to score so im not pushing the panic button yet. 10 games in will be where I make my judgements.

bengull · Post by **bengull** » 18 Aug 2013, 23:17

Hopefully saw the same game as you otherwise there has been a complete balls-up with one of our season tickets.

They breached our defence right from kick off, it was a lax start, got in straight behind us and won a corner, had a goal disallowed in the first half, my man in the bench said it was a marginal call which could have gone either way. Defence misjudged the bounce on several occasions and only good recovery and a bit of fortune denied Oxford a run on goal. I may have overstated it slightly but our defence looked shaky to me. You may point to the stat of 4 shots on goal throughout the match, but that doesn't tell the whole story in the same way that the one goal to our name doesn't tell the whole story. Pearce and Downes are both excellent defenders at this level, certainly in isolation, are they a good partnership yet? Far from it, should we expect them to be straightaway? absolutely not. There are a lot of good things about us that will take time to develop into success, but a long the way there is no harm in highlighting when things aren't going so well. Our back four (like the entire team) is a work in progress.

Also, I really hope there is no Austrian in me, if there is then either a) I will refuse to stand next to him at matches in future if that's how people think we behave, or b) you can expect my exit from this forum swiftly after one criticism of my matchday threads too many.

yellowmonkey · Post by **yellowmonkey** » 19 Aug 2013, 09:38

royalgull · Post by **royalgull** » 19 Aug 2013, 11:10

i'll be there for our usual routine 2-0 away loss.

Richinns · Post by **Richinns** » 19 Aug 2013, 11:13

3 points on Saturday. I have a feeling this will be a the first win of the season.

Post by **SuperNickyWroe** » 19 Aug 2013, 13:15

bengull wrote:Hopefully saw the same game as you otherwise there has been a complete balls-up with one of our season tickets.

They breached our defence right from kick off, it was a lax start, got in straight behind us and won a corner, had a goal disallowed in the first half, my man in the bench said it was a marginal call which could have gone either way. Defence misjudged the bounce on several occasions and only good recovery and a bit of fortune denied Oxford a run on goal. I may have overstated it slightly but our defence looked shaky to me. You may point to the stat of 4 shots on goal throughout the match, but that doesn't tell the whole story in the same way that the one goal to our name doesn't tell the whole story. Pearce and Downes are both excellent defenders at this level, certainly in isolation, are they a good partnership yet? Far from it, should we expect them to be straightaway? absolutely not. There are a lot of good things about us that will take time to develop into success, but a long the way there is no harm in highlighting when things aren't going so well. Our back four (like the entire team) is a work in progress.

Also, I really hope there is no Austrian in me, if there is then either a) I will refuse to stand next to him at matches in future if that's how people think we behave, or b) you can expect my exit from this forum swiftly after one criticism of my matchday threads too many.

your thread is sh*t.

usagullmichigan · Post by **usagullmichigan** » 19 Aug 2013, 16:39

tl dr

bengull · Post by **bengull** » 19 Aug 2013, 16:57

Not long enough, must try harder

usagullmichigan · Post by **usagullmichigan** » 19 Aug 2013, 17:02

I'm hoping we will be upping our game against this great team. I'm sure a lot of you will be looking forward to getting the chance to visit the San Sixfields #jealous

cambgull · Post by **cambgull** » 19 Aug 2013, 18:47

Very annoyingly, I can't make this game as I'm working. It's also the closest game to me, which makes it even worse to miss. Despite inviting along a Peterborough fan who spent the entire game talking non-stop last season, it's actually an enjoyable visit and not a bad ground. Their main stand is quite a sight when it's full to the brim and they have a group of fans in the top left hand corner to have some banter with.

brooker · Post by **brooker** » 19 Aug 2013, 19:27

I'll be cramming into the minibus for this one, we have to get a win sometime! Good away end at sixfields, I'm somewhat stupidly looking forward to it!

Sunnysideup · Post by **Sunnysideup** » 19 Aug 2013, 21:48

bengull wrote:my man in the bench said it was a marginal call which could have gone either way.

I was pretty much in line with it as well and when the ball was hit he looked a good 2 feet offside. The lino obviously thought so as well as he had no hesitation flagging

bengull · Post by **bengull** » 19 Aug 2013, 22:51

My man in the bench was Stevie Wonder, knew I shouldn't have given him my free ticket.

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