After missing out on the chance to go top of the table on Tuesday night, the Cobblers are back at home to face another stern test, this time in the shape of Salford City. Tuesday’s game seemed to be one too far for the injury hit Town squad and we need to get some of those key players back quickly to sustain what’s been a fantastic start to the season.
Attempting to stop us are a Salford side who hope to make it fourth time lucky in at least making the playoffs this time out. With high ambitions and another new manager in the dugout, their sights are well and truly set on making that next big step into the promotion reckoning.
The Opposition
After 11th, 8th and 10th place finishes since joining the Football League, Salford refreshed things in the dugout over the summer, replacing Gary Bowyer with Manchester United Under 23s boss Neil Wood. Wood has made the Ammies more possession based and has led them to a decent start to the campaign.
Despite some fans calling for more end product and less passing the ball around, the tactic has been effective for the most part as Wood gets used to the change from Under 23s football to the more industrial atmosphere in League Two. Winning six of their first eleven games, City find themselves in fifth place and five points behind the Cobblers going into the weekend.
Last Time Out
The Cobblers were beaten 1-0 in a drab affair at Walsall on Tuesday night. Salford had a rest in midweek, with their last game being Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Grimsby Town.
One To Watch
Ryan Watson will need no introduction to Cobblers fans with the midfielder key to Salford’s midfield. Playing central and breaking into the box is still Watto’s style and he’ll need to be watched like a hawk on Saturday.
Team News
The Cobblers are still blighted by illness and injury going into the weekend. Josh Eppiah and Max Dyche returned from illness on Tuesday night but it’s unknown whether Sam Hoskins is ready to make a come back for the weekend. Shaun McWilliams is still out while Akin Odimayo is a fitness doubt and Tyler Magloire is out long term.
Salford are likely to still be without Conor McAleny through injury but Elliot Watt returns from a one match ban for picking up five yellow cards.
Line-Up Prediction
Match Officials
Lee Swabey takes charge of this one on Saturday. Swabey last officiated a Cobblers game back in February for our 1-0 home defeat to Barrow. He’s shown forty two yellow cards and two reds in eleven games so far this season. Nicholas Cooper and Daniel Bonneywell are running the lines and Leigh Crowhurst is fourth official.
Prediction
This should be a tight one and the Cobblers’ fortunes will depend on how we approach Salford’s possession based game. I’m going for a 1-1 draw for this one.
A Cobblers fan all his life, Danny is the most down to earth football supporter from Northampton.
While at university in Southampton, Danny kept up to date with all things NTFC from afar, sharing his thoughts on his ‘A Load Of Cobblers’ online blog.
