Northampton have picked up 41 points since Christmas, which has transformed their campaign from a shambles after the local derby defeat to Cambridge United on 19th December into what could see them promoted straight back into the Second Division. Relegated last season, they now lie in eighth place, just two points off of the play-off positions.
The Cobblers started out with consecutive defeats upon arrival in Division Three before now-Southend striker Lawrie Dudfield netted three goals around a run of three wins on the trot. Town had picked up just four points from eight matches when they visited Roots Hall on November 1st, but came away with a 1-0 win courtesy of Paul Trollope. That victory took them away from the relegation zone, and a win two weeks later against Swansea meant that they never looked back.
Another run of four matches without a win saw the Cobblers slump to 16th as they embarked on the festive period, but manager Colin Calderwood, a real novice in the job, had by now brought Richard Walker in on loan from LDV Vans Trophy winners Blackpool, and his eight goals in a three month spell helped to galvanise the side, as did cup runs in the LDV (where they were beaten by Colchester United in the area semi-final) and the F.A. Cup, when Premiership Manchester United emerged 3-0 winners in round four at Sixfields.
Since that defeat by the Red Devils, though, Northampton have won ten and drawn one of the fourteen games that they have played, including defeats of rivals Yeovil Town, Oxford United and Hull City for those promotion spots. And in March they also gained revenge for the defeat to Cambridge at Sixfields by winning 1-0 at the Abbey Stadium. Indeed, the Cobblers unbeaten home stretch runs back to that game against the U’s in the League, a period of nine games. And that will make Southend’s task especially difficult this Saturday.
Nationwide League Division Three |
09/08/03: Torquay United (h) L0-1 16/08/03: York City (a) L0-1 22/08/03: Darlington (h) W1-0 (Smith) 25/08/03: Yeovil Town (a) W2-0 (Reid, Low) 30/08/03: Doncaster Rovers (h) W1-0 (Dudfield) 05/09/03: Cheltenham Town (a) L3-4 (Dudfield 2, Smith [p]) 13/09/03: Huddersfield Town (a) L0-3 16/09/03: Carlisle United (h) W2-0 (Smith [p], Trollope) 20/09/03: Macclesfield Town (h) D0-0 27/09/03: Oxford United (a) L0-3 30/09/03: Lincoln City (a) D0-0 04/10/03: Hull City (h) L1-5 (Trollope) 11/10/03: Rochdale (a) D1-1 (Smith) 17/10/03: Scunthorpe United (h) D1-1 (Smith) 21/10/03: Kidderminster Harriers (h) L0-1 25/10/03: Leyton Orient (a) D1-1 (Low) 01/11/03: Southend United (a) W1-0 (Trollope) 17/11/03: Swansea City (h) W2-1 (Walker, Smith) 22/11/03: Bury (a) L0-1 29/11/03: Mansfield Town (h) L0-3 13/12/03: Boston United (a) D1-1 (Lincoln) 19/12/03: Cambridge United (h) L1-2 (Asamoah) 26/12/03: Bristol Rovers (a) W2-1 (Asamoah, Walker) 28/12/03: Cheltenham Town (h) W1-0 (Walker) 10/01/04: Torquay United (a) L1-3 (Sampson) 17/01/04: York City (h) W2-1 (Walker, Parkin [o.g.]) 30/01/04: Doncaster Rovers (a) L0-1 03/02/04: Yeovil Town (h) W2-0 (Hargreaves, Smith) 07/02/04: Bristol Rovers (h) W2-0 (Vieira, Smith) 14/02/04: Rochdale (h) W3-1 (Hargreaves, Reid, Vieira) 17/02/04: Darlington (a) W2-1 (Smith [p], Richards) 21/02/04: Scunthorpe United (a) L0-1 28/02/04: Leyton Orient (h) W1-0 (Low) 02/03/04: Kidderminster Harriers (a) L1-2 (Hargreaves) 06/03/04: Cambridge United (a) W1-0 (Willmott) 13/03/04: Boston United (h) W2-0 (Morison, Sampson) 16/03/04: Carlisle United (a) D1-1 (Trollope) 27/03/04: Macclesfield Town (a) W4-0 (Richards 4) 03/04/04: Oxford United (h) W2-1(Richards, Trollope) 10/04/04: Hull City (a) W3-2 (Richards, Sabin 2) 12/03/04: Lincoln City (h) D1-1 (Trollope)
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F.A. Cup |
08/11/03: R1 – Plymouth Argyle (h) W3-2 (Walker, Hargreaves, Asamoah) 06/12/03: R2 – Weston-super-Mare (h) W4-1 (Smith [p], Low, Richards 2) 03/01/04: R3 – Rotherham United (h) D1-1 (Smith) 13/01/04: R3r – Rotherham United (a) W2-1 (Walker, Smith) 25/01/04: R4 – Manchester United (h) L0-3
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Carling Cup |
12/08/03: R1 – Norwich City (h) W1-0 (Low) 23/09/03: R2 – Portsmouth (a) L2-5 (Hargreaves [p], Dudfield)
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LDV Vans Trophy |
R1 - bye 14/11/03: R2 – Hereford United (a) D1-1 [W4-3 on penalties] (Dudfield) 09/12/03: AQF – Peterborough United (h) W2-1 (Low, Dudfield) 20/01/04: ASF – Colchester United (h) L2-3 (Walker 2)
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2003/4 Records |
Matches Played: 51 (27 home, 24 away) Matches Won: 24 (16 home, 8 away) Matches Drawn: 10 (4 home, 6 away) Matches Lost: 17 (7 home, 10 away) Goals Scored: 67 (38 home, 29 away) Goals Conceded: 63 (29 home, 34 away)
Martin Smith 47+2 Paul Trollope 46+1 Chris Hargreaves 45+2 Lee Harper 44 Marc Richards 28+18
Martin Smith 12 Marc Richards 10 Richard Walker 8 Lawrie Dudfield 6 Chris Hargreaves 6 Josh Low 6 |
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com