The Journeyman Chronicles

chesterfan2 · January 3, 2014

Tuesday December 17th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. Newport County (12th)

I was hoping the cup game would set us back on track. I’d been to see the chairman and he’d told me he wasn’t exactly happy as he’d expected me to make more progress. So, pretty obviously, the longer we stayed in ninth spot the worse it would be for my continued employment.

We had to make some changes to the starting line up due to fitness issues. Wylie filled in at left back, Wilson got his first start in left midfield, Legge and Anderson returned at the back. I told the lads, pre-match, that if we played our own game we’d win, they seemed to like that.

We struggled initially with Newport’s 4-5-1 formation, but eventually got to grips with it. After the first ten mins chances began to flow. We got a goal on 21 minutes, a volley on the turn by Platt, back in the side after his rest. It was one way traffic for the rest of the half but we couldn’t find another goal.

I told them there was room for improvement and sent them out for the second half. Newport played well for ten minutes and then faded. We re-established our superiority and got a second goal on 61 minutes, this one well taken by Alex Nicholls.

Final Score: Northampton Town 2-0 Newport County

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Platt, A Nicholls

Man Of The Match: Clive Platt

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Wyatt, Legge, Anderson, Fagan, Turnbull, Dawson, Wilson, A Nicholls, Platt

Just before the Boxing Day game we had a bit of a disaster. Leon Legge dislocated a shoulder in training, and would be out for three months. Given the length of time out I had no option but to terminate his loan. The loan market would open up again in Jan, but we would have at least three games before anyone could be brought in.

chesterfan2 · January 4, 2014

Thursday December 26th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. AFC Telford United (11th)

The Boxing Day game brought our old FA Trophy adversaries Telford into town. I fancied giving the fans some entertainment today so I picked as strong a side as I was able. This with Legge gone, Widdowson and Dawson injured and Gibbons unfit meant a certain reshuffling of the pack.

The first half seemed to go by at the pace of a seriously disabled snail, completely devoid of anything resembling a chance, it was dire. Less said about it the better.

Goalless at half time and a rocket from me, that did seem to gee them up, though.

Indeed it did work as we scored on 49 minutes. Platt playing Nicholls into the box, where he took his chance well. On 62 Gutteridge had a penalty saved, the penalty awarded for a shove on Hackett. We should have been made to regret that as Telford had a gilt-edged chance on 85 minutes but Lee Nicholls produced a save straight out of the top draw to preserve our win. Both Macclesfield and Grimsby above us, won, so we stay in ninth spot, sill nine points off the playoffs.

Final Score: Northampton Town 1-0 AFC Telford United

League Position: 9th

Scorers : A Nicholls

Man Of The Match: Paul Green

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Meredith, Green, Langmead, Hackett, Turnbull, Gutteridge, Shankland, A Nicholls, Platt

chesterfan2 · January 5, 2014

Saturday December 28th 2013

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. Tamworth (23rd)

Christmas is a happy time for children everywhere but for us football managers it’s a nightmare. This was our second game in two days and with a small squad that’s not funny. So I made eight changes from the last squad with only Lee Nicholls, Mendy and Langmead surviving. There were some ‘desperate’ choices, Wylie as the holding midfielder, for example but I figured we were playing the team next to bottom of the league and this was the best balance between quality and exhaustion that I could manage.

The changes meant we were disjointed initially and we struggled to put anything of note together at all in the first half. The only real items of note were a knock to Anderson on 22 minutes, he was replaced by Artell and a goal by Moult that was disallowed for a foul in the build up, no complaints about that one.

I toyed with the idea of making changes, but when I told the lads, rather sternly I thought, that I wasn’t happy with their first half performance I saw positive reactions from the very players I was thinking of substituting. With that they gained themselves another chance.

Well whatever the Tamworth manager said to them at half time must have worked as they came out like a train and it took a smart save by Nicholls in the 47th minute to prevent them taking the lead. We steadied but couldn’t create anything so I made changes on the hour. Wylie had done well but was tired, so Gutteridge came on for him, and Wilson had not done the job up front so Alex Nicholls came on for him.

On 70 minutes Tamworth broke out of our continual pressure, and streaked down the field to score a fine breakaway goal. I think I may have turned purple on the sideline and they may well have heard my swearing in Newcastle. That got the message across, I’d like to think, as we were level on 75, Alex Nicholls retrieving a half cleared shot and passing the ball across the face of the goal for Gutteridge to run onto and slam home.

We threw the kitchen sink at them after that, but the winning goal wouldn’t come. I wasn’t happy. I kept them in the dressing room for 45 minutes I was that irate.

Final Score: Northampton Town 1-1 Tamworth

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Gutteridge

Man Of The Match: Dave Hankin

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Anderson (Artell 22), Langmead, Hankin, Dawson, Wylie (Gutteridge 45), Fagan, Wilson (A Nicholls 45), Moult

Anderson’s injury was quite bad, he’d be out for a month. In the other games Macclesfield in 8th lost at home to leader’s Wrexham so we got a point closer to them, but the last spot in the playoffs remains 9 points away. I’m absolutely certain the board expects more.

The lads were under strict instructions not to partake in New Year’s Eve celebrations, at least not too heartily, they are non-league players after all. The coming of January would bring an open transfer and loan window and it would also necessitate some re-ordering of the troops. Meredith would see his loan end before the game on the 1st, whilst Dawson’s loan would finish on the 4th. I hoped our link with Middlesbrough would come into play here.

chesterfan2 · January 7, 2014

Wednesday January 1st 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Dartford (13th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

Back to something like a full strength side today, with Platt back up front and Shankland on the left of midfield.

I wished the lads luck and sent them out. We flew out of the traps and were a goal up with only 3 minutes on the clock. Constant pressure pushed us forward, into their box where Platt didn’t need a second invitation to fire home his 125th career goal.

Dartford levelled on 6 minutes with a spectacular volley from a full 30 yards that flew in. You simply can’t account for those, so good luck to the lad as it was a fabulous goal.

The game settled into an old fashioned end-to-end game, the type you see in football played by 8 year olds. Eventually though we managed to get back in front. Shankland winning the ball on the half way line, passing to Platt who played Alex Nicholls into the box, he took the ball round the keeper and slotted it home. Dartford tried their level best to get back on terms but the luck didn’t fall their way and the half finished with us with our noses in front.

I told them they were doing alright, but they had room for improvement, that seemed to encourage a couple of them, so that was alright. Or at least I thought so. Dartford had very much the upper hand in the second period and it was no surprise on 71 when they forced a second equaliser.

I urged the lads forward, and they responded but the third goal wouldn’t come and we drew once again. Macclesfield didn’t play today so we go above them into eighth but it is surely only temporary as they have two games in hand.

Final Score: Dartford 2-2 Northampton Town

League Position: 8th

Scorers : Platt, A Nicholls

Man Of The Match: Clive Platt

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Green, Langmead, Hackett, Turnbull, Gutteridge, Shankland, A Nicholls, Platt

We reacted quickly to the impending loss of Dawson by the loan of Jordan Jones a central midfielder from our parent club Middlesbrough. He’s a bright spark, and the good news is he’s on loan for the rest of the season.

chesterfan2 · January 7, 2014

Saturday January 4th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Grimsby Town (7th) vs. Northampton Town (8th)

Dawson had indeed gone back to his club by the time this game came around, and a difficult game it would undoubtedly be. Grimsby are one place and seven points clear of us. They have been in great form for the last couple of months and this would be a big test of our lads.

I would have been happier with this as the New Year’s game as some of the players picked on Wednesday for that match were still tired on Saturday for this one. In reaction to that I paired Artell and Green at the back, with Langmead on the bench, Gutteridge and Gibbons in the middle of the park with the new lad Jones on the left. Platt, though tired, and Fagan up front, Nicholls on the bench. The best use of what I had, that was remotely fit. I told them to batten down the hatches and to get out there and enjoy themselves.

The lads went out relaxed and started off the game playing like that, passing the ball sweetly and making the early running. We pressed home our advantage and scored on 6 minutes. Gibbons played the ball over the defender for Fagan to run on to and, quite clearly enjoying his turn in his favoured position, he made no mistake in tucking the ball past the advancing keeper. Grimsby reacted well, though, and were level on 9 minutes. They cut our defence open and swept the ball in, quite frightening really at that stage of the game, with 81 mins still to go.

On 27 minutes they scored again, a deep cross not cleared, slammed home. Disappointing. We responded well but wasted the couple of chances we created and we went in at half time a goal down. At the break I told them they could still win this game. I’m not sure they believed me.

We huffed and we puffed in the second period and didn’t manage to achieve a second goal. We stopped them playing as much, which was good, and should have had a penalty near the end, but it wasn’t given and we didn’t create anything that was going to result in an equaliser. So we ran out losers, which was a shame. I couldn’t really have a go at the lads as they had played themselves to a standstill. What concerned me was that, that wasn’t enough in this match. Time to go back to the loan market.

Final Score: Grimsby Town 2-1 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Fagan

Man Of The Match: Robbie Gibbons

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Green, Artell, Hackett, Gibbons, Gutteridge, Jones, Fagan, Platt

We picked up a player on loan before the next match. Mike Edwards is 33, and an experienced central defender who hasn’t been getting a lot of games at his own club Carlisle. He came here on a three month loan and will add steel and competition to the defence. He wasn’t the only iron I had in the fire, just the first to come out.

chesterfan2 · January 9, 2014

Tuesday January 7th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. Forest Green (19th)

Edwards went straight into the team, along with a number of other changes due to the three days since the last one, an exhausted Platt the most obvious absentee.

Forest Green had their keeper to thank early on as he made two good saves to first deny Moult and then again from the resultant corner. Moult again a couple of minutes later heading just wide.

It was against the run of play then when Forest Green took the lead. A free kick came back off the bar and the Forest Green centre forward was quickest to react. A goal down, some work to do.

It took until the half hour for us to register another attack, but this one did, at least, bring us a goal. Alex Nicholls turning and shooting home in one fluid movement.

If I thought that was going to be the turning point, I would have to think again. We got to half time without creating much more, and still level at 1 each.

At the break I told them one goal would do it and took off the ever disappointing Moult and gave the young Reserve team striker Adebayo Azeez a run out, instead. Hopefully the lad would show Moult what it meant to be given a chance to play.

Azeez did ok, and had a half chance well saved on 56 minutes. He wasted a couple more chances after that but the pressure was building. On 72 minutes Hankin crossed the ball from the right and Shankland ghosted in at the far post to bundle the ball home. Not the prettiest goal you ever could see, but a goal nevertheless, and our noses in front.

Azeez missed a sitter on 81, but went on to get the goal his game had deserved on 85 minutes. Set up by Alex Nicholls with a ball into the box, that Adebayo Azeez pounced on and drilled home for his first goal for the club. The lad was delighted. The fans were delighted. I was delighted.

Final Score: Northampton Town 3-1 Forest Green

League Position: 9th

Scorers : A Nicholls, Shankland, Azeez

Man Of The Match: Robbie Gibbons

Team: L Nicholls, Wylie, Widdowson, Langmead, Edwards, Hankin, Gibbons, Turnbull, Shankland, Moult (Azeez 45), A Nicholls

We signed another central defender after the game. Johan Hammar, 19 is Swedish and has recently been released by Everton. He’ll do well at this level and went straight into the squad for the FA Trophy game. We also signed another player, Lee Hills, 23, a left sided player on loan for the rest of the season from Stevenage Borough.

chesterfan2 · January 10, 2014

Saturday January 11th 2014

FA Trophy Third Round

Northampton Town (BSP 9th) vs. Eastbourne Borough (BSS 19th)

Both Hills and Hammar start, and with no injuries to speak of a full strength side elsewhere.

We were a goal up in 104 seconds, with our very first attack. A good run by Alex Nicholls a lay off to Jones and a low cross turned in by Platt, a good goal. On 9 minutes Hills got on the end of a beautiful passing move to slot the ball home from just inside the box, for a goal on his debut.

Eastbourne reminded us they weren’t just here to make up the numbers as they hit the bar on 24 minutes. We got a third goal on 34 minutes, Gutteridge with the finish this time. We looked like scoring every time we attacked at this stage, and indeed, went four up when Jones got on the end of a long cross and forced the ball home for his first goal for the club. We didn’t want the half to end, and Eastbourne looked might relieved when it did.

Four up at half time, what do you say ? Carry on, pretty much covers it.

Platt made it five on 49 minutes with a well-placed shot from the edge of the box. Alex Nicholls got the sixth on 71 minutes turning home a Jones cross from close range. He got his second and our seventh on 86 minutes, a well taken goal with a shot from the edge of the box catching an unsighted keeper out.

Final Score: Northampton Town 7-0 Eastbourne Borough

Scorers : Platt 2, Hills, Gutteridge, Jones, A Nicholls 2

Man Of The Match: Jordan Jones

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Gutteridge, Turnbull, Jones, A Nicholls, Platt

The draw for the Fourth Round was straight after the game. We were first out of the hat, followed by Worcester City of the BSP or Salisbury Town of the BSS. In the other ties the bigger sides were drawn against each other. Leaders of the BSP, Wrexham were drawn away at Lincoln City, 10th in the BSP, and Mansfield, 3rd in the BSP were drawn at home to Stockport, currently 4th in the table.

In other news Kelvin Langmead, who is out of contract in the summer signed a pre-contract agreement with Queen of the South. As a result of this I made Gutteridge club captain. Langmead wasn’t happy initially but said he understood when I told him that in light of him leaving the club at the end of the season to make a change sooner rather than later was the best idea.

The club’s game at Alfreton on the 18th of Jan was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, it was rearranged for the end of the month, midweek. And due to that our next game would be the Fourth Round of The Trophy

chesterfan2 · January 10, 2014

Saturday January 25th 2014

FA Trophy Fourth Round

Northampton Town (BSP 9th) vs. Worcester City (BSP 22nd)

A long rest and the luxury of an unchanged team.

We had lots of possession early on but contrived various ways to miss chance after chance. We kept Worcester at bay no problem, but struggled to make chances of our own count.

We kept at it though and eventually managed to make one of them count. Mike Edwards with his first goal for the club heading home a Hackett corner, 39 minutes gone.

So half time, a goal up. I told them they could do even better and sent them back out there for the second half.

Worcester had their best passage of play for a short period after half time, five minutes where they passed it about, but wasted their opportunities by shooting too early. On 52 minutes we broke out, passed the ball crisply down the pitch for Alex Nicholls to then take the ball into the box, past his man, and then shot high into the roof of the net from eight yards out. 2-0.

The rest of the game played out with us pushing Worcester back and creating chance after chance we failed to take. A couple of injuries, one to each side, ours to Alex Nicholls meant that one minute of injury time extended into six minutes of injury time, Worcester managing a goal in the fifth of those six minutes. It was, thankfully, nothing more than a consolation.

Final Score: Northampton Town 2-1 Worcester City

Scorers : Edwards, A Nicholls

Man Of The Match: Chris Hackett

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Gutteridge, Turnbull, Jones, A Nicholls (Moult 89), Platt

In the draw for the semi-final we were drawn out with Mansfield Town, currently 3rd in the BSP. The only upside of that being that the second leg of the two legged semi would be at our place.

TeddyJ · January 10, 2014

Cracking read - keep it up!

mark wilson27 · January 10, 2014

A great win against Eastbourne, good luck in the Semi Final mate

chesterfan2 · January 10, 2014

Teddy, Mark, thanks very much for the support, it is very much appreciated

Tuesday January 28th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Alfreton Town (12th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

Rumour had it that a defeat here would see the end of my tenure as manager at Northampton. The truth was we hadn’t put together a string of results that would take us into the playoffs, we were kind of stuck here in ninth spot. It’s not what I promised, so I kind of expected not to be here much longer if things weren’t going to rapidly improve.

One change, Alex Nicholls’ knock in the last game was serious enough for him to miss this one, b]Fagan[/b] deputised.

On 12 Alfreton scored though their guy looked a yard offside. We were two down on 27, this one a blistering drive from the edge of the box. They had a third disallowed for offside before the break.

I swore and ranted at them at half time, they just weren’t putting in the effort.

Second half wasn’t much better though. We kept Alfreton at bay, though that’s most likely that as they had a two goal lead they didn’t have to bother attacking. We were toothless and clueless and the game petered out a loss.

I had, quite simply never seen them play as badly as that. It was awful.

Final Score: Alfreton Town 2-0 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers :

Man Of The Match: Paul Turnbull

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Gutteridge, Turnbull, Jones, Fagan, Platt

Amazingly the axe didn’t fall, which was a big surprise after that toothless performance and a couple of days later I was still in charge for the closure of the transfer window. It would be my last chance to turn things around in terms of new blood, and following the Alfreton game it seemed we would need quite a lot of it.

Transfer deadline day did indeed prove to be quite busy. We signed four players on-loan, Mateusz Taudul, 19, a goalkeeper on-loan from Everton, he’ll provide us with cover when Lee Nicholls returns to his club, Kristoffer Peterson a left sided midfielder from Liverpool, Damien Mozika a midfielder from Scunthorpe and Luca Scapuzzi a forward on his way out at Man City, but who has the talent to succeed at this level immediately. At the very last moment we signed a fifth player, Andrew Halliday, another forward, on a three month loan from Middlesbrough. These lads should, at the very least provide some competition for places, and some would see a lot of playing time.

chesterfan2 · January 10, 2014

Saturday February 1st 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. Wrexham (1st)

The TV Cameras were out at Sixfields for this one, and so the board’s apparent reticent to give me the boot was, to my mind at least, possibly explained. Wrexham had spent much of the season in second spot, behind Oxford United, but had recently gone on a winning streak that had lifted them to the top.

I put four of the five new lads straight in to the starting lineup. Mozika in the ball winning role, Peterson on the left, Halliday and Scapuzzi up front. In addition to that Widdowson returned at left back, with Hills on the bench and Shankland got the nod on the right.

I told the lads to go out there and give the fans a reason to cheer, also to get stuck right in. I figured perhaps we could frighten them and get a good start on the back of it.

Start well we did, culminating in a free kick on the edge of the box on 10 minutes that Gibbons smacked against the crossbar, with our lads not being able to get to the rebound before their defender did. On 19 minutes Peterson cut in from the left and hit a shot that went inches wide. On 24 Scapuzzi won the ball back deep in the Wrexham half, took the ball to the byeline and crossed where Halliday was given a mighty old shove in the back just as he was about to plant a header on, or somewhere near, the target. The ref saw it, penalty. Scapuzzi wrestled the ball off Halliday, put it on the spot and made no mistake, one-nil.

We went close again on 40 as Halliday’s shot clipped the post, but it wasn’t all us. Wrexham missed a gilt-edged chance on 42, they should have scored but dragged the shot well wide. 1-0 at half time and a testing 45 to come.

I told the lads they were doing well, but could do even better, and I took off Robbie Gibbons who was looking tired, and replaced him with Jordan Jones, then I sent them out for the second half.

Well, I should have expected Wrexham to come out like scalded cats, they are not top of the table because they roll over and die after all, are they ? They put together a sharp passing move and were level within 45 seconds of the restart. This might be a long half, I thought to myself.

They got a second, and the lead on 57, a deep free kick headed home by the big centre-back. Route 1 football if I were being unkind, as I was quite tempted to be at the time. We tried to get back into the game and threw players forward. We were therefore a little light at the back when they got their third on 80 minutes.

Edwards got one back on 83, in a goalmouth scramble following a partially cleared corner. We threw the kitchen sink at them after that, but it wasn’t to be. Their keeper made good saves from Halliday and Peterson late on, but Wrexham held on in the end. This time I couldn’t fault them for effort.

Final Score: Northampton Town 2-3 Wrexham

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Scapuzzi, Edwards

Man Of The Match: Mike Edwards

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Hammar, Edwards, Shankland, Gibbons(Jones 45), Mozika, Peterson, Scapuzzi, Halliday

chesterfan2 · January 12, 2014

Wednesday February 5th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Gateshead (14th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

The performance in the last match had obviously convinced the board that, short term at least, I was still the right man for the job.

As for the match itself, Gibbon’s loan had ended a day earlier and he had returned to Scunthorpe, this, and an injury to Shankland, led to the midfield being Alex Nicholls on the right, Turnbull and Jones in the middle and Hackett on the left. We were otherwise unchanged.

Our first attack, some 93 seconds into the game resulted in a goal, Halliday feeding Scapuzzi inside the box and the little Italian made no mistake from close range. Gateshead were quite obviously not in the mood to be overwhelmed and were level on 6 minutes with a well taken goal.

The game ebbed and flowed for a while, with both sides getting and spurning good goalscoring opportunities. Finally, on 27 minutes, we fashioned a chance that we actually took. Scapuzzi the provider this time, playing a ball for Halliday to run onto and fire home from just outside the box, a fine finish.

So 2-1 up at half time. I told them to guard against complacency, which got a good response from all the lads other than the two forwards who obviously thought they didn’t have to worry about all that defensive nonsense.

That they were confused didn’t seem to matter much as Halliday grabbed his second and the team’s third on 51, with another drive, from just inside the box this time. Three minutes later it was 4-1 as an Edwards header from a corner was blocked on the line, might have been by a hand, but it didn’t matter as Hammar was on hand to smash home the rebound. Hackett got a fifth on 65 minutes as he capitalised on a shanked clearance to score from close range.

We took our foot off the pedal then and Gateshead might have got one back, but poor finishing cost them. The game finished 5-1, a convincing win, but only time would tell if we had turned a corner..

Final Score: Gateshead 1-5 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Scapuzzi, Halliday 2, Hammar, Hackett

Man Of The Match: Andrew Halliday

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Hammar, Edwards, A Nicholls, Jones ,Turnbull, Hackett, Scapuzzi, Halliday

mark wilson27 · January 12, 2014

A good result after two losses in a row, lets hope its a spring board to a good run of form

chesterfan2 · January 13, 2014

thanks Mark, but only time will tell if that is the corner turned pr not

Saturday February 8th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. Macclesfield (7th)

A game we need to win if we are going to get anywhere this season. A game we need to win for me to have long and fruitful employment here as well, no doubt. Wylie in at right back, Mozika and Peterson returning, Hankin on the right. Otherwise no changes. That was the team that was going to do it for me. Or not.

Scrappy. That’s the best way to describe the opening 20 minutes, very little for either set of fans to cheer about here, no chances for anyone. On 21 Mozika had a shot, but it was wide, and that was a highlight ! On 28 he missed an even easier chance than that. The shame for the fans was that they were the only two chances of the first half.

Goalless at half time, I told them they only needed one goal, and sent them out just a little bit more positive.

Well we pushed forward but were without luck, we created a few chances but wasted most of them, On 61 minutes we fell behind to a rare Macclesfield attack, a shot beyond the dive of Nicholls and it was 1-0. I got the lads to push forward and attack after that. We got our reward on 73 as Scapuzzi was in the right place at the right time as the ball dropped to him in a goalmouth melee. The main question now was ‘who could force a winner ?’

It looked like it could be us as Scapuzzi once more popped up at the right place on 80 minutes, as Halliday knocked a ball across the face of goal, there was Scapuzzi to blast it home from four yards out. Instead of sitting back after that I had us put on what in basketball would be called a full court press. Macclesfield couldn’t settle and though I had some tired player by the end, I also had a win.

Final Score: Northampton Town 2-1 Macclesfield Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Scapuzzi 2

Man Of The Match: Luca Scapuzzi

Team: L Nicholls, Wylie, Widdowson, Hammar, Edwards, Hankin, Jones ,Mozika, Peterson, Scapuzzi, Halliday

chesterfan2 · January 13, 2014

Saturday February 15th 2014

FA Trophy Semi Final First Leg

Mansfield Town (BSP 3rd) vs. Northampton Town (BSP 9th)

The key here was, of course, to not get beaten, or at least not to be beaten heavily. I made just the one change Hackett in for Hankin. A bit more attacking threat, I thought that might come in handy.

We controlled the game early on, sitting on possession, frustrating the opponents. We created the occasional attack and in the 10th minute we scored from one of these, the goal machine Scapuzzi scoring a great goal, rifled in from the edge of the box.

Only three minutes after that we had a setback as Peterson was sent off for a two footed challenge. Hard to argue with that one really, it made our job very difficult though. We reorganized a bit, played Halliday on the left wing and this seemed to disorientate the Mansfield attack, and they couldn’t create anything of note for the rest of the half.

Half time a goal up, and a player down. I told them they were doing ok, to keep it up and to defend a bit deeper.

We did ok, kept Mansfield at arm’s length until the 54th minute and a very harsh penalty awarded to them, supposedly for a push by Hammar, didn’t agree with that one. Anyway, the penalty was scored and Mansfield were level. We missed a glorious chance to take the lead on 64, and then fell behind on 66 as they tucked away a goalmouth scramble.

It didn’t last for them though as Scapuzzi looked a good yard offside as he rounded the keeper to score the equaliser on 72 minutes. On 78 Mansfield retook the lead, a fizzing shot from the edge of the D, a very good goal. We tried but couldn’t get back on terms, we ended up losing, but at least we got two away goals. I told the lads that apart from the result everything was good about the game, I’m sure they appreciated that.

Final Score: Mansfield Town 3-2 Northampton Town

Scorers : Scapuzzi 2

Man Of The Match: Luca Scapuzzi

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Jones ,Mozika, Peterson, Scapuzzi, Halliday

mark wilson27 · January 13, 2014

Not a bad result potentially in the long term, if Im right a 1-0 win will see you through to the final. Good luck for the second leg mate

chesterfan2 · January 14, 2014

I will not keep you in suspense then Mark ! Two updates tonight !

Tuesday February 18th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. Kidderminster Harriers (6th)

Another game we needed to win, but the main focus was the return to the team of Ishmel Demontagnac, out for the last 4 months with a broken foot. He comes in on the left for the suspended Peterson. Halliday was injured, Platt in for him, Widdowson too was out injured, Hills stepped in. Langmead, Gutteridge,Turnbull and Alex Nicholls also started today.

Kidderminster started well and had us on the back foot for the opening ten minutes. But it was us who scored first on 11 minutes. A long throw by Hills into the box was headed into the net by Edwards. We piled on the pressure, Platt hit the post on 23 minutes, but we couldn’t add to the early goal and we went in at half time a single goal up.

Kidderminster came out very fired up and threw everything forward, chance after chance came and went.Nicholls was awesome, the defenders like rocks, but on 68 minutes they got the goal their pressure deserved, a goal scored after a corner was only half cleared. We rallied and tried to find a winner, it wouldn’t come. At the end of the game I had to tell the lads how disappointed I was.

Final Score: Northampton Town 1-1 Kidderminster Harriers

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Edwards

Man Of The Match: Mike Edwards

Team: L Nicholls, Mendy, Hills, Langmead, Edwards, A Nicholls, Gutteridge ,Turnbull, Demontagnac, Scapuzzi, Platt

Lee Nicholls loan expired before the second leg of the semi-final and he returned to Wigan, we tried to get him back but there was some question over eligibility and it didn’t happen.

chesterfan2 · January 14, 2014

Saturday February 22nd 2014

FA Trophy Semi Final Second Leg

Northampton Town (2) vs. Mansfield Town (3)

Shane Higgs returned in goal, Hammar came into the back four for Langmead, we had Hackett on the right, Jones on the left and a bit of steel in the middle where we had Mozika and Turnbull paired. Platt continued up front in Halliday’s absence.

I told them I expected them to get to the final. We started the better of the two teams putting together probing attacks that were stoutly repulsed by Mansfield. On 15 minutes though, we crafted a better opportunity Turnbull doing well and feeding Scapuzzi who drew the defence before making a short pass to Platt who lasered home a shot from the edge of the box. One nil up, and ahead in the tie, but on away goals only.

We piled the pressure on after that with good goalkeeping denying us on a couple of occasions, most notably from Platt, a header saved at point blank range. The pressure did eventually tell, however, as Jones cut in from the left, beat a man, checked back onto his left foot and belted the ball into the bottom left hand corner. 27 minutes gone, and we were two up.

Mansfield as you would expect rallied and came back at us, but Higgs made a sharp save on 34 to deny them a goal. That was as close as they got that half as the wasted the corner that followed, and we went into half time, 4-3 up on aggregate.

I told them they had done well, but to above all, keep it up in the second half. They were smiling as they left the changing room, would they still be smiling at full time ?

Mansfield had clearly felt their managers wrath at half time and pushed forward after the break. They got a goal back on 50 minutes, a mite fortunate as the guy looked half a yard offside. I responded to this by taking off Hackett who was tiring and replacing him with Demontagnac. We steadied the ship, but on 67 we lost Mozika to injury, Green replacing him.

On 70 we pushed the ball out wide to Demontagnac, he pushed the ball into the box where Scapuzzi chased it down. Then with very little on he was clattered by the big Mansfield centre back, and the ref awarded a penalty. Mansfield claimed it was soft, but it looked fair enough to me. Hills stepped up, sent the keeper the wrong way and we were 3-1 up.

Mansfield obviously recognised at this point that they only need one goal to take this to extra time and went to a 4-3-3 formation. We went to all out defence and kept them at bay. The best chance in the reminder of the game fell to us though, Scapuzzi on a break shooting well wide. He should have done better, but I wasn’t going to pick him up on it, because the game finished soon after and we won ! We were in the FA Trophy final !

Final Score: Northampton Town 3-1 Mansfield Town (Agg 5-4)

Scorers : Platt, Jones, Hills

Man Of The Match: Damian Mozika

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett (Demontagnac 50), Turnbull ,Mozika (Shankland 67), Jones, Scapuzzi, Platt

In the final we would meet Blue Square South team Ebbsfleet who dispatched of the mighty Wrexham in the semi-final. The win did come at a cost however. Damian Mozika’s injury was serious, he’d done his knee ligaments, and he’d be out for a couple of months.

The final would be on 10th May, but now with the date was ticking over into March, with the board still disappointed in me, and with my job security still deemed as ‘Very Insecure’ that seemed an awful long way off.

mark wilson27 · January 15, 2014

Congrats on reaching the final and thanks for not keeping me in too much suspense. Hopefully the board will let you keep your job long enough to enjoy the final

chesterfan2 · January 15, 2014

Will they, won't they, that's the question...

Saturday March 1st 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Lincoln City (11th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

Yet another must win match, of course. A couple of changes from the FA Trophy Semi Final Side. Langmead in for Hammar, Jones covering for the injured Mozika with Shankland filling in on the left and Nicholls up front for Platt.

It all started ok for Lincoln right up until the 7th minute, when It all went horribly wrong. First their big centre forward was adjudged to have led with an elbow and was given a straight red. Then from the resulting free kick in our own box we took the ball the length of the pitch and Nicholls blasted the ball home from 15 yards out. 1 man and 1 goal down in the space of 60 seconds. Not good for them, but pretty good for us.

We tried to press home our advantage but couldn’t manage to do so, and it wasn’t that much of a surprise when the equalised from a corner in the 37th minute. They got a second two minutes later, a free kick curled in. And from being in a good position, in with a chance of moving up a spot, we were now 12 points of a playoff spot.

45 minutes to save our season. I shouted at them, asked them what they thought they were doing. They went out like scalded children. I hoped it would work.

It didn’t we huffed and puffed, and went another goal behind on 62, a long shot Higgs should have done better with. The same could be said about the fourth on 68, another freekick. We hadn’t let a free kick in all season, now two in one game. Turnbull got one back on 71, a good run into the box, found by Scapuzzi, and finished well.

We threw caution to the wind at this point and went to a 4-2-4, took off Shankland and brought on Demontagnac, and it was the tricky winger who skipped down the byline, cut in and then presented the ball on a plate for Nicholls to ram home from a yard out, 3-4, 74 minutes gone, could we manage to get this one back ?

The short answer was, no we couldn’t. They adapted to our new formation soon enough and saw the game out with ease.

Final Score: Lincoln City 4-3 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Nicholls 2, Turnbull

Man Of The Match: Alex Nicholls

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Hills, Langmead, Edwards, Hackett, Jones ,Turnbull, Shankland (Demontagnac 68), Scapuzzi, Nicholls

TeddyJ · January 15, 2014

Dammit! The ME can be so frustrating when playing against 10.

chesterfan2 · January 16, 2014

indeed, Teddy, indeed

Saturday March 8th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Dover Athletic (24th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

Amazingly the axe didn’t fall so we were off down to the south coast and struggling Dover.

Ten forgettable minutes in and we score a goal, Demontagnac arriving at the back stick to finish off a sweeping move that was about a million times better than anything else done by either side in the first ten. Scapuzzi had a goal disallowed for offside on 14, I didn’t think he was offside. It was no matter though as we got a second on 18, Nicholls breaking into the box and powering the ball home.

The next 20 minutes went by in a parade of missed chances, but on 42 we got our third goal, Alex Nicholls scored it, capitalising in a poor back pass by Dover. So, three goals up at half time and cruising. I told them to keep it up and sent them back out there.

We took our foot off the pedal in the second half, and slowly Dover took us up on our offer, and pushed forward. They got a goal on 71, what their pressure deserved really. Fortunately this woke us up, and we started playing again. Nicholls got his hatrick on 76, another run and shot, good stuff.

The game petered out towards the end, but when it did end it was a 4-1 victory for us, with Macclesfield losing at home to Oxford we were, once again within a couple of points of 8th spot.

Final Score: Dover Athletic 1-4 Northampton Town

League Position: 9th

Scorers : Nicholls 3, Demontagnac

Man Of The Match: Alex Nicholls

Team: Higgs, Wylie, Hills, Langmead, Edwards, Hackett, Jones ,Turnbull, Demontagnac , Scapuzzi, Nicholls

chesterfan2 · January 16, 2014

Tuesday March 11th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (9th) vs. Barrow (15th)

I did some squad rotating for this one. Wylie had a knock in the last game and wasn’t fully fit, Green stepped in for him. The others were to give certain players a rest ahead of the weekend’s game against Hayes and also to give players like Halliday, coming off an injury, a run out.

Not a lot to report in the first half. Lots of endeavour from both sides but very few chances. We thought we’d scored on 40 minutes but Halliday had gone too soon, and was just offside. We got to the half goalless.

I wasn’t happy, not with the fact that Macclesfield were two goals up, nor by our toothless first half display. I told them to get their act together and attack.

The second half threatened to be much like the first, with not a lot happening, but on 68 minutes we scored. A Hills long throw fell into the path of Demontagnac who fired the ball through a crowd of players and into the net. We made it two on 70 minutes as Scapuzzi broke clear of the defence and slotted the ball home from 15 yards out.

Barrow lost a lad to a second yellow soon after that and with his departure so went any real threat from Barrow. We had a couple more chances, but couldn’t make them pay, but the game was well won by then, and we ran out easy winners. Even better was the news that 23rd placed Altrincham had pulled level against Macclesfield and so this win meant we moved up to 8th spot. Hallelujah !

Final Score: Northampton Town 2-0 Barrow

League Position: 8th

Scorers : Demontagnac, Scapuzzi

Man Of The Match: Ishmel Demontagnac

Team: Higgs, Green, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Demontagnac, Gutteridge ,Turnbull, Peterson , Scapuzzi, Halliday

tenthreeleader · January 16, 2014

Like your matchwriting, cf. Good, solid work.

chesterfan2 · January 17, 2014

Thank you tenthree, that is a very fine compliment, cheers.

Saturday March 15th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Hayes & Yeading (7th) vs. Northampton Town (8th)

Hackett came in on the right. Jones in midfield. Halliday kept his spot up front. This was going to be a difficult game but Hayes haven’t been in the best of form, and we are on a two game winning streak, so who knew ?

I set them up to counter attack from the off, and what ensued was much like a pitch-bound chess match, herculean efforts to create chances, none of them taken. None, that is until the 17th minute when Halliday found himself in the box with only the keeper to beat, he made no mistake and tucked the ball away. Gutteridge made it two on 27 minutes, the ball dropped in the box and he lashed it into the roof of the net. Unstoppable.

We got to half time 2-0 without any real scares. I tell the lads I’m happy and that they should keep it up. Not rocket science really. Could we manage to secure a third win in a row.

Five minutes after the restart we added a third. Jordan Jones, excellent today in the Advanced Playmaker role, striding onto the ball on the edge of the box, taking it two steps into the box and then unleashing an arrow straight shot past the oncoming keeper and into the bottom right hand corner for a picture goal. Jones scored again on 58 minutes, good work on the right by Scapuzzi to retrieve the ball after a Hackett drive had been palmed away, he prodded the ball into the box, Jones, arriving, hit it first time to give the keeper no chance.

Hayes got one back a minute later, a corner to the near post, not cleared, and then forced home. They had a second questionably disallowed for offside shortly afterwards. The fight left them then and we ran out comfortable winners.

Final Score: Hayes & Yeading 1-4 Northampton Town

League Position: 8th

Scorers : Halliday, Gutteridge, Jones 2

Man Of The Match: Jordan Jones

Team: Higgs, Green, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Gutteridge ,Jones, Peterson , Scapuzzi, Halliday

Six games to save our season. We were still 12 points of the last playoff spot. It would be a miracle if we could do it, but on the other hand It wasn’t quite over yet either.

chesterfan2 · January 18, 2014

Saturday March 22nd 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (8th) vs. Worcester(22nd)

Our problem all season has been not being able to put together a string of results, but now we had three wins in a row, and a seemingly easy game at home to lowly Worcester. The trouble with that was that Worcester are not dead and buried yet by any means, a couple of wins and they would likely be safe. I guessed that would mean they would turn up here, and we’d need to be ready to outplay them. I had no worries about our ability to outplay them it’s just if we’d turn up.

No new injury worries so I was able, for once, to name an unchanged side. It told to go out and play for the fans. It was a dreary wet day and it would have taken a visit from The Saturdays to have got them enthused, but out they went anyway, The Saturdays not being available.

We got off to a bad start with Jordan Jones limping off after only 6 minutes. This necessitated some reorganisation, with Green moving into midfield, Langmead coming on, playing at centreback with young Hammar covering at right back. This seemed to disjoint our team somewhat and the first half was a series of error prone efforts, and very few chances.

Goalless at half time, they had been listless, I was angry and I’m afraid I showed it. It told them in no uncertain terms that I need them to attack. Well it took 15 minutes of the second half, during which we piled on the pressure, but on 61 minutes we broke the deadlock, Halliday firing through a crowd of players in a congested box. Langmead made it two on 65, he had a simple job of heading in at the far post after Lee Hills’ deep cross eluded the Worcester defence.

Scapuzzi picked up a knock on 67, as a precaution I replaced him with Nicholls but it didn’t derail our rhythm. We got a third near the end, Mike Edwards heading home a Hackett corner . A good ending to what turned out to be, in the second half at least, a good comfortable win. In the games around us Mansfield in 4th and Wrexham in 5th both lost, whilst Kidderminster in 6th, Hayes in 7th, us in 8th and Macclesfield in 9th all won. Things were getting closer. Five games to go.

Final Score: Northampton Town 3-0 Worcester

League Position: 8th

Scorers : Halliday, Langmead, Edwards

Man Of The Match: Chris Hackett

Team: Higgs, Green, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Gutteridge ,Jones (Langmead 45), Peterson , Scapuzzi (Nicholls 67), Halliday

Bad news came from the treatment room, Jordan Jones had damaged knee ligaments and would be out for three months. We also had to take into account that Mike Edwards would be on his way as his loan would run out within the month, that meant that on loan deadline day we signed another defender on loan, Scott Tannock, 21 from Swansea.

chesterfan2 · January 19, 2014

Saturday March 29th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (8th) vs. Oxford United(3rd)

In a game on the Friday night, Stockport won at ninth placed Macclesfield to go second and push today’s visitor’s Oxford down to third. And this itself was a difficult game, a big ask to make it five in a row. Turnbull came in for the injured Jones. I told the lads that if we play our own game then we’d win. They went out relaxed and ready for the challenge.

We got off to a bad start as Oxford got a goal on 2 minutes, bad concentration by the lads really, they caught us cold. That rocked us back for a while, but eventually we started to put some good play together and fashioned an equaliser through Halliday on 21, as he broke into the box and dispatched the ball clinically. Scapuzzi added a second on 25, a flowing move cutting the Oxford defence to shreds.

We added a third, through Hackett on 37, another move that Oxford couldn’t get near, this was sublime stuff. The only surprise from here was that we couldn’t make it four by half time.

I had to praise them at half time, I should have told them not to be complacent but from minutes 2 to 45 were the best 44 minutes of football we’ve played all season.

The second half was a disappointment compared to the first but the good news is that Oxford only managed to pull one back and so we ran out winners. Five in a row !

Final Score: Northampton Town 3-2 Oxford United

League Position: 7th

Scorers : Halliday, Scapuzzi, Hackett

Man Of The Match: Andrew Halliday

Team: Higgs, Green, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Gutteridge ,Turnbull Peterson , Scapuzzi Halliday

In other games, Wrexham, now in 4th, won. Mansfield, now 5th, lost. Kidderminster, 6th, won, We won and are now, temporarily at least, in 7th, as Hayes, now 8th, didn’t play.

Hayes won their game in hand the following day, at Worcester, and so we dropped back to 8th. Still, it wasn’t all bad news as I was named manager of the month for March and apparently my job status was now just ‘Insecure’, which was nice.

chesterfan2 · January 19, 2014

Saturday April 5th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Altrincham (23rd) vs. Northampton Town(8th)

No changes for this one, and no rousing speech required to send them out with. A kind of nothing opening 15 minutes followed in which neither side showed much in the way of endeavour. On 16 minutes we created something, a corner, which wasn’t cleared and that let one of our players, Hammar blast the ball home. 1-0. On 17 minutes the game came to life with a brilliant solo effort by Halliday, he beat two defenders before drawing the keeper and slotting the ball under his diving body.

It didn’t go all our own way, Altrincham pulled a goal back just before half time. This was , quite clearly, the point to bring out the complacency team talk. Altrincham probably also had an uplifting team talk as they got an equaliser on 52 minutes, a bad goal to give away.

This roused our lads to action though and we pushed forward, grabbing our third goal on 63. Hackett the scorer. We were now in control of the game and pushed on at will. We concluded the game by forcing not one, but two, own goals in the 86th and 89th minutes, running out very comfortable winners.

Final Score: Altrincham 2-5 Northampton Town

League Position: 8th

Scorers : Hammar, Halliday, Hackett, og 2

Man Of The Match: Paul Turnbull

Team: Higgs, Green, Hills, Hammar, Edwards, Hackett, Gutteridge ,Turnbull Peterson , Scapuzzi Halliday

Meanwhile, Mansfield, 4th, beat Wrexham, 5th, Kidderminster 6th lost, Hayes, 7th, and us 8th both won. Macclesfield, 9th, drew and are no longer worth talking about in this conversation.

So, The business bit of the table looked like this…

 
| Pos   | Inf   | Team            |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 3rd   |       | Oxford          |       | 43    | 22    | 14    | 7     | 76    | 43    | +33   | 80    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 4th   |       | Mansfield       |       | 43    | 23    | 11    | 9     | 75    | 43    | +32   | 80    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 5th   |       | Wrexham         |       | 43    | 24    | 7     | 12    | 73    | 46    | +27   | 79    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 6th   |       | Kidderminster   |       | 43    | 22    | 10    | 11    | 80    | 59    | +21   | 76    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 7th   |       | Hayes & Yeading |       | 43    | 22    | 8     | 13    | 65    | 59    | +6    | 74    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|[b] 
| 8th   |       | Northampton     |       | 43    | 21    | 10    | 12    | 79    | 52    | +27   | 73    | [/b]
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 9th   |       | Macclesfield    |       | 43    | 20    | 8     | 15    | 69    | 59    | +10   | 68    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
| 10th  |       | Alfreton        |       | 43    | 17    | 11    | 15    | 50    | 60    | -10   | 62    | 
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Three games to go, and still six points off the last of the playoff spots. It was looking more unlikely that we could do it for sure, but it was possible. The least we could do would be to turn 6 wins in a row into 9 wins in a row, and give the rest of them something to think about.

chesterfan2 · January 24, 2014

Saturday April 12th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Woking (19th) vs. Northampton Town(8th)

To add to our woes, Mike Edwards’s loan ended in the week, so Kelvin Langmead came in to start. Mendy returned at right back after proving his fitness in training. No other changes were required. I told them that if we played our game, then we’d win, they seemed relaxed, and I hoped for the best.

We came out and played well, controlling the ball and worrying the Woking defence. We scored a goal on 7 minutes, exactly what our play deserved, passing rings round the defence we got the ball to Hackett and arriving at the back post, Peterson was there to head the ball home. On 10, Woking were level, a deep free kick headed in under pressure by their centre-forward, a well taken goal. B*gger.

We knuckled down after that and overcame a brief Woking revival. We slowly re-established ourselves and scored again on 38 minutes, a rapid turn and shot by Halliday, the means by which we did so.

Half time came and we were two-one up. Other half time scores, Hayes losing, Kidderminster and Mansfield winning and Wrexham drawing meant that whilst we were up to 7th as things stood, the thread by which we clung onto hopes of a playoff place were getting very thin indeed. I wound the players up for the second half, told them not to get complacent, which they didn’t like, and sent them back out there.

It worked, Halliday made it three on 53 minutes, Turnbull played him into the box and he shot, catching the keeper out at his near post. Bad goalkeeping, but we’d take it, right ? On 58 we had the ball cleared off the line, but on the radio I heard that Dartford had taken the lead at home to Wrexham, now if only they, as well as us, could hold on, and Southport find an equaliser, or better, against Kidderminster then all would be well with the world.

On 71 minutes Woking got a second goal, a header from a corner. Assuming I get the chance it’s something I’ll need to work on in the summer. At the same time we got news of a second Kidderminster goal at Southport.

We weathered a storm after that and near the end got a goal that sealed the match on the break, Gutteridge with the goal. I have to admit I spent the three minutes of injury time with my ear glued to the radio, searching for scores.

Final Score: Woking 2-4 Northampton Town

League Position: 7th

Scorers : Peterson, Halliday 2, Gutteridge

Man Of The Match: Luke Gutteridge

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Hills, Hammar, Langmead, Hackett, Gutteridge, Turnbull, Peterson , Scapuzzi, Halliday

In the other games that affected us Mansfield beat Macclesfield at home and move third on 83 points Oxford drew at home with Barrow and drop to 4th with 81 points. Wrexham lost 1-0 at Dartford and drop to 5th with 79 points. They are now level on points with Kidderminster in 6th, they beat Southport, 2-1. We, of course, beat Woking and are 7th on 76 points, Hayes lost at Altrincham and drop to 8th on 74.

Two games to go, anywhere up to 4th within our reach, as long as results go our way.

As Sir Alex once said, squeaky bum time.

chesterfan2 · January 25, 2014

Now to the end of the season, two games in three days, both at home, the first against Braintree who, in 21st are in the first of the relegation spots, they’ll be playing for their lives. The second is at home to Stockport currently top of a division that has only one automatic promotion spot, they’ll be up for it and more than likely capable. No-one said this was going to be easy.

Saturday April 19th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (7th) vs. Braintree Town(21st)

Just a couple of changes, with the two games in three days in mind. Demontagnac starts on the left and loanee Scott Tannock plays for Hammar in the middle of defence. For a teamtalk today I pulled the old ‘do it for the fans’ out of the bag. Not a murmur from the lads. I hoped this would work.

By the time Luca Scapuzzi scored with a well taken volley on 16 minutes Wrexham were already two goals up at home to Telford. Hayes vs. Oxford and Kidderminster vs. Stockport were both still goalless. And by the time he got his second only three minutes later, knocking the ball in at the far post, both Oxford and Stockport had scored.

We pushed for more but they wouldn’t come, and we went into half time two goals to the good. In the other games that mattered to us, Wrexham were three up and out of sight against Telford, Stockport were two up over Kidderminster and Oxford still held a slender one goal lead against Hayes. In the second half we needed to hope for Wrexham to be pegged back, or at least not score any more goals, Hayes to make a comeback, and us to get more goals, pretty much in order of preference.

In the second half Scapuzzi pounced on a poor backpass and squared the ball for Halliday to score, 55 minutes gone, we were three up. It didn’t last as Braintree forced in a goal on the hour mark. They had a guy sent off for use of an elbow on 65, and it got a bit easier after that. Halliday added a fourth, his second, volleying home Demontagnac’s cross on 75. Demontagnac added a fifth on 78, bundling home the ball in a goalmouth scramble. That bought the scoring to a close, but where did that leave us ?

Final Score: Northampton Town 5-1 Braintree Town

League Position: 6th

Scorers : Scapuzzi 2, Halliday 2, Demontagnac

Man Of The Match: Luca Scapuzzi

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Hills, Tannock, Langmead, Hackett, Gutteridge ,Turnbull , Demontagnac, Scapuzzi Halliday

So the results as they affected us, Oxford won 4-0 at Hayes and thus confirm their playoff place in 4th. Wrexham won at home against Telford 4-2, and so sit in 5th with 82 points and a goal difference of +28. We won 5-1 and now sit in 6th with 79 points and a goal difference of +33. Kidderminster lost 2-3 at home to our final league opponentsStockport and are now in 7th, with 79 points also but a goal difference of only +21.

chesterfan2 · January 25, 2014

Monday April 21st 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Northampton Town (6th) vs. Stockport County(1st)

OK so it works like this. We need to beat Stockport, top of the league, but not yet certain of finishing in that top spot, and it’s one automatic promotion spot, whilst we hope that Wrexham slip up at home against 18th placed Tamworth, not facing relegation on the last day of the season. I thought we could discount Kidderminster winning with a swing of 12 goals.

Unfortunately the man of the match in the last match was injured. Luca Scapuzzi had pulled a hamstring and would be out for a month or so. We did have one bit of good news on the injury front though, as Damien Mozika was back fit. Luke Gutteridge wasn’t a 100% so I took the decision to put Mozika in there. Hammar and Peterson returned to their positions.

I told them to keep the run going and to get stuck in. We started ok, found it easy to get round the back of their three man defence, but didn’t manage to create anything clearcut. Stockport got lucky with their first attack, shooting from 35 yards, the ball flew in. Bet that hasn’t happened often this season. Nine minutes gone. On 16 it got worse as Wrexham took the lead in their game.

On 22 minutes though, Tamworth equalised against Wrexham. Meanwhile we were shooting wide shots that in previous matches would have flown in. Must be nerves. Peterson hit the post when it looked like he must score on 42. Shocking miss.

At half time I had a go, well, they were letting themselves down. And I asked them to go and attack. Without a win we were not only out of the playoffs we’d likely drop a place too.

We had to replace Nicholls with Fagan on 59 minutes. I don’t think the lad wanted it really. Thereafter we met with the fabled miracle keeper, whatever we threw at their netminder he seemed to be in the right spot for. Stockport meantime got a second on 72, they broke away and scored. I have to say I didn’t really care anymore. This football could be a cruel game.

Then on 77 we got one back, a sweeping move with Turnbull providing the finish. Then it got unbelievable, plain unbelievable. We had an attack where from a corner we hit both posts before the ball was hacked away. The ball was cleared off the line twice more before the end. Near the end Langmead wasn’t even booked for a challenge that sent one of theirs to the hospital, I can’t say I blamed him.

Final Score: Northampton Town 1-2 Stockport County

League Position: 6th

Scorers : Turnbull

Man Of The Match: Paul Turnbull

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Hills, Hammar, Langmead, Hackett, Mozika ,Turnbull , Peterson, Nicholls (Fagan 59), Halliday

So, Stockport won the league title. Wrexham beat Tamworth and secured their playoff spot. Kidderminster lost at home to Newport and so didn’t overtake us. We finished 6th, one place outside the playoffs.

The teams in the playoffs were Wrexham, Oxford United, Mansfield Town and Grimsby Town. Relegated were: Braintree, Worcester, Altrincham and Dover.

But our season wasn’t over. We still had to wait a while for the Trophy final. During that time the loan spells of Halliday, Scapuzzi[/b] and Peterson came to an end. Both Scapuzzi and Halliday were immediately transfer listed by their clubs, on free transfers, so I put in offers for both. Halliday wanted the moon and the stars, which we can’t afford, so that one didn’t happen now. Luca Scapuzzi however was much more reasonable. He accepted and will join when the transfer window reopens in June.

First though we had the small matter of the FA Trophy Final.

mark wilson27 · January 25, 2014

Unlucky on the Playoffs mate, lets hope you get a better result in the FA Trophy Final

chesterfan2 · January 28, 2014

Saturday May 10th 2014

FA Trophy Final

Northampton Town (BSP 6th) vs. Ebbsfleet United(BSS 16th)

Approx. 29,000 fans doesn’t really fill Wembley, but it does make for a cracking good atmosphere. We put out a team containing at least two players playing their last games for the club. Kelvin Langmead, of course, had a free transfer set up to Queen of the South, but Clive Platt had recently announced he would be retiring at the end of the season, so this was a big thank you to him.

Once again I told them to win this for the fans. They have been great and do deserve this success. They went out not looking too confident, but not overly nervous either, I was quite pleased.

The game started out nervy from both sides, but we were the first to settle and started to trouble the Ebbsfleet defence, mainly through means of Lee Hills long throw. And it was via that method of attack that we got the opening goal. Hills threw it in long, and Langmead headed the ball home. Route 1, but it worked. 9 minutes gone.

We got a second on 17 minutes, Demontagnac the scorer, prodding the ball in at the far post as a Hammar header from a corner was half blocked on the line. We were really on top in this spell and spurned further chances to score, Gutteridge and Platt both shooting wide when well placed. A third goal did come on 38 minutes, though, Alex Nicholls scoring from close range after being set up by Turnbull with an incisive ball into the box.

So half time came and we were three goals up, and about to kick to the end where our fans were. I didn’t want us to sit back, their manager Liam Daish had been very uncomplimentary about Northampton in the week building up to the final so I wanted to make his side pay. So I demanded all-out attack from them, but in a nice way, obviously.

We, inevitably perhaps, were a little more on the back foot in the second half. The game was pretty much won so we took our foot off the gas a bit. On 70 I took off Platt, to a standing ovation he deserved for his service to the club if not today’s performance, and gave Moult a run out on the Wembley turf. I also swapped Gutteridge out for Green, in, to give him a go out there too.

We had a good chance , well saved near the end, but three-nil was enough. The whistle went and we had won the FA Trophy.

Final Score: Northampton Town 3-0 Ebbsfleet United

Scorers : Langmead, Demontagnac, Nicholls

Man Of The Match: Johan Hammar

Team: Higgs, Mendy, Hills, Hammar, Langmead, Hackett, Gutteridge (Green 77) ,Turnbull , Demontagnac, Nicholls, Platt (Moult 71)

chesterfan2 · January 28, 2014

The promotion playoff from the Blue Square Premier finally played out, and Grimsby were the team promoted, beating Oxford in the playoff final on penalties.

I noted on review that practically all the first team’s contracts were due to come to an end at the end of June. Seeing as it seemed as though I was going to get the chance of at least starting another season here I made offers to not very many of them. I fancied a complete rebuild. Step 1 of that was making an offer to Wigan for the services of goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.

Initial budgets for next season were also set at that time and were a significant improvement. A £25.5k wage budget and £134k transfer budget would seem to me to mean they wanted us to go for it this year. To that end I had the scouts out checking out a number of young players released by Premier League clubs, you could often find gems among that lot.

Reports were coming in, also news than Moult was on his way to TNS of Wales when his contract expires. Good for him, he’d done nothing to make me want to offer him another contract. Lee Nicholls also agreed to sign, in addition to that we picked up a reserve goalkeeper, 19, by the name of Ryan Crump, released by Liverpool. So it was a good day all round.

June 9th came round and the opening of the transfer window. Lee Nicholls, Luca Scapuzzi and Ryan Crump all joined us officially today.

News followed that Alex Nicholls had agreed to join AFC Wimbledon and Adebayo Azeez was going to join Chester. Good luck to them. I went back to see what players I may want to keep. I had already tied Luke Gutteridge and Chris Hackett to one year extensions, but now I also made offers to Mendy, Widdowson, Wylie and Reserves Tom Anderson and Dean Snedeker. Paul Turnbull unfortunately thought he was worth more than I did, and the rest of them can leave with my blessings as I think the phrase goes.

We made some behind the scenes signings as we signed up a goalkeeping coach, two other coaches, a Head of Youth Development and a Director of Football. One of the first things the new Director of Football, Paul Bolland, did was to organise a season’s long loan for goalkeeper Dean Snedeker to Gainsborough Trinity of the BSN, hopefully he’ll get game time there, he’s one we have high hopes for. We also secured the signing of an experienced forward, Rory Fallon, 32, on a free from Dagenham & Redbridge to be completed at the end of his contract.

As the off season progressed we continued to team build. Next in was Tyler Fulton, 18, on a free after his contract at Falkirk ended at the end of last season. He’s a central defender and capable of slotting straight in, he’s already at a good level and only likely to get better.

On 22 June 2014, Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from football, creating a vacancy at Man Utd. Jose Mourinho declared his interest, angering the Real Madrid board. I decided not to apply at this time.

chesterfan2 · January 28, 2014

The following day was quite a sad day as 36 year old Clive Platt officially retired from the game. Northampton was his eighth club in a career spanning 20 years, 585 appearances and 125 goals. His, and this is the bit makes me really proud, one medal in all his career was the FA Trophy winners medal won with Northampton Town in 2014. His one medal came in his last game.

Cheers, mate.

mark wilson27 · January 29, 2014

Congrats on the FA Trophy mate, let's hope it spurs you on for next season

chesterfan2 · January 29, 2014

Thanks Mark, certainly the aim is to crack on from here - let's see how supportive the board are eh ?

End of Season Review

At the end of season 2 of my career, I had attained 2 trophies,

Trophies Won: Belgian Third Division Champions Season 2012/3 – Deinze

English FA Trophy Season 2013/4 – Northampton Town

gavrenwick · January 29, 2014

Congratulations on your victory chester and good luck for the next season!

chesterfan2 · January 30, 2014

Thanks Gav

The board came to me to discuss season’s expectations on the same day the new season’s fixtures were announced. They said I could have £180k transfer and £29k per week wage budget if I could guarantee to be champions, £170k and 28k if I were to say Promotion, and £130k and £25k for a title challenge. They didn’t offer me any other options. I went for Promotion, the middle option. Well, you shouldn’t overpromise should you?

Shortly after that we officially started pre-season, Mendy, Gutteridge and Hackett were all given extra time off as they came back to training still tired from last season’s exertions. I offered contracts to a couple of the reserves who were coming to the end of their deals and the board gave me a two year extension to my contract, £950 a week, now if I could only remember what I was on before !

On June 30th contracts expired and Demontagnac, Turnbull, Green and Higgs left the club. Other than the 36 year old Higgs I had offered them all contracts but they had wanted more, in some cases much more, than I thought they were worth to the team. So they go and we free up some playing budget.

The First of July saw all the out of contract players who had arranged moves onwards leave the club. Artell and Azeez joined Chester, Alex Nicholls joined AFC Wimbledon, Moult went to TNS, Langmead went to Queen of the South, Fagan joined Wrexham, Wilson went to Shrewsbury, and, finally, Hankin went to Bath City. Coming the other way, Rory Fallon signed on.

We went back to last season for our first loan signing of the year. Jordan Jones, now over his injury, is back, on a season’s long loan from Middlesbrough. We spent money on the next one in, a £9k purchase from Scunthorpe, he’s Jordan Keegan, 22, Irish, and a left midfielder. At the time he was the only left midfielder in the squad.

We now had a first team squad of 13 players, including the loanee, Jones, and there were 11, including the one already on loan, Snedeker,in the Reserves squad. Nowhere near enough depth but finding the right talent at a price that wouldn’t break the bank was proving to be a slow process.

We spent £16k strengthening the back line, by adding 27 year old John Armstrong, a centre back, signed from Hibs. We also signed three more players to season long loans, making up the maximum number of long term loans for one season. The players were Junior, 22, a central midfielder from Everton, Paul Corry, 23, another midfielder from Sheff Wednesday and Nathan Ecclestone, 23, a forward, from Blackpool.

With these additions I thought we were pretty well covered in most areas. I thought the first team needed a reserve goalkeeper, a reserve left back, and a little more depth at center midfield and up front., but those two positions were probably best covered by Reserve team players.

chesterfan2 · January 30, 2014

When the groundsman came and asked me what dimensions I wanted the pitch to be I said as big as the stadium will take. I want a big pitch, I want them to play football, pass the other teams to death.

After two friendlies in quick succession, first a 2-2 draw with Championship side Swansea, then a 3-2 win over an enthusiastic Liverpool Reserves side we signed a reserve goalie. Filip Mentel is 24, and a Slovakian. He started at Inter Bratislava but was brought over on Man City’s youth policy. Last season he was in the BSN with Hereford and he left at the end of his contract seeking a step up. He’s a league up here, but behind Lee Nicholls in the pecking order. He has the talent to succeed if the opportunity comes his way.

The preseason odds came out on the 25th of July. We, at 8-1 are joint fourth favourites behind Exeter and Port Vale, the two relegated teams, joint favourites at 5-2 then comesOxford United at 3-1, then three at 8-1, Us, Hereford and Wrexham, so at least the bookies think we are on the right track.

I picked Mentel for the next friendly, the annual match against our Parent Club, Middlesbrough, as in the previous year they sent a strong blend of youth and experience. Mentel did ok in a 3-0 defeat, in which the second and third goals came late on when we had a couple of the U18s on the pitch. We competed ok until that point, which is ok.

Into August and on the second we added another backup striker. Patrik Twarzik is 21, from the Czech Republic and has recently been released after a spell in the youth ranks of Celtic, he has a lot of potential and enough ability already to step in on occasion. He played and scored the first goal in our final friendly, a 6-0 thumping of local side St. Neots.

As the first game of the league season approached we kept on adding players. Leon Legge, 29, once of this parish, and now available of a free after his Brentford contract expired. He adds depth in central defence, though he may not, at least initially, be the first choice. On the 7th we signed Nathan Byrne, 21, a right back from Tottenham. He’ll fight it out with Mendy for the starting spot over the early weeks of the season. The 8th, the day before the first match saw one more player arrive, Marc Warren, 22, was signed for £12k from Airdrie he’s going to be our backup left back. He’s an Aussie too.

We still had a couple of irons in the fire, but they’d have to wait, because we had reached the start of season 2014/5.

chesterfan2 · February 3, 2014

Saturday August 9th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: Twerton Park

Bath City vs. Northampton Town

Bath are new to the division, having been promoted from the BSS last year. They include in their ranks old boy Dave Hankin, who’ll probably only cause us trouble if the football gods of these kind of things shine down on Bath in a particularly benevolent way.

We see a lot of new faces , 6 players making their full debuts today, but the same old 4-4-2 formation. We may need to innovate this year, but not against a team that’s never seen it before. I did something strange in the team talk. I told them to go out and enjoy themselves. Let’s see how that works.

What’s going to serve Bath well in this division is the tenacity of their midfield and the willingness of their forwards to run. For long periods in the first half they pushed us onto the back foot. Lee Nicholls was never seriously troubled but for a goal disallowed for offside, but their endeavour in the middle of the park won them the lion’s share of possession in the first half. What’s going to hold Bath back is a defence prone to making errors, including making a short pass out that Luca Scapuzzi, on the stroke of half time, could intercept and then close on the goalkeeper and calmly slot the ball past him for a largely undeserved lead at the break.

I told them that even though we were winning we could do better. I asked them to play a little more on the front foot as I felt they had invited pressure onto themselves a bit too much in the first half.

The team talk obviously had some effect as we passed the ball better from the off in the second half. On 54 minutes we doubled our lead, Hammar slamming home the ball after his header from a corner had been half blocked and dropped kindly to the big Swede. We lost Scapuzzi to injury on 77, Fallon coming on for his debut. On 87 we were awarded what looked a soft penalty as Junior went over in the box. Fallon stepped up a put the ball away for a debut goal.

There was no late revival for Bath and the ended up a well beaten side. You had the feeling that might become the norm for them this season. Our luck was to have played them first, as that meant our conclusive win meant that after one game we were top of the league.

Final Score: Bath City 0-3 Northampton Town

League Position: 1st

Scorers : Scapuzzi, Hammar, Fallon (pen)

Man Of The Match: Junior

Team: Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Hammar, Fulton, Hackett, Junior ,Corry , Keegan, Scapuzzi (Fallon 77), Eccleston

It turned out Luca Scapuzzi had broken his arm, and would be out for 3 or 4 weeks. We made an offer for a loan player to come in as attacking cover, but nothing came of it before the next match.

During the week we spent £10k in strengthening our midfield by bringing Giles Coke from Swindon. Giles is 28, a central midfielder and a real asset at this level. Then a couple of days on from that we added what I considered at the time to be the last piece of the jigsaw, another central midfielder, though this one could also fill in at right back, by the name of Tom Clarke, signed from Carlisle for £12,000.

As we had 2 internationals (Fallon (New Zealand) and Junior (Guinea-Bissau)) and three U21 internationals we had the midweek game off. Results for that game sent us down to 9th, albeit with a game in hand, and sent Mansfield to the top courtesy of their 6-1 over Telford. One of the U21s, Tyler Fulton came back with a nastily gashed leg from his international game. He’d be out for 12 days to 2 weeks.

chesterfan2 · February 3, 2014

Saturday August 16th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: Aggborough

Kidderminster Harriers (18th) vs. Northampton Town (9th)

For this one John Armstrong made his debut for Northampton at the back in place of Fulton. Up front Fallon started alongside Eccleston . Twardzik and Byrne filled the vacant spots on the bench.

The first half hour of this game was a great advert for BSP football, both sides passed and moved, but met with stout defences who allowed very little to go the way of either keeper, highly entertaining stuff even without the goalmouth excitement. On 29 minutes though the game changes as Kidderminster midfielder, Kyle Storer was sent off for a second yellow card. He can have no complaints.

We then moved to put our stamp on the game and control it. We started well on that aim by scoring the game’s first goal on 32 minutes, a deep cross volleyed home from a tight angle by Jordan Keegan. Within 4 minutes of that it was two-nil, Johan Hammar with a carbon copy of his goal against Bath, powering the ball home after it dropped in the box following a corner.

Two-nil at half time and an effusive team talk. It seemed to buoy them up a bit. They were at Kidderminster from the off in the second half and were unlucky not to extend the lead even further in the early moments of the half. Fallon got himself booked on 57 mins by the card-happy ref, and I was just toying with the idea of replacing him when he popped up inside the box to tuck home a half chance on 63 minutes. Three-nil up and cruising. We didn’t create much in the way of chances after that. Those we did were wasted by Eccleston, anyway, two wins out of two, without breaking sweat, without conceding a goal.

Final Score: Kidderminster Harriers 0-3 Northampton Town

League Position: 5th

Scorers : Keegan, Hammar, Fallon

Man Of The Match: Joe Widdowson

Team: Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Hammar, Armstrong, Hackett, Junior ,Corry , Keegan, Fallon, Eccleston (Twardzik 84)

chesterfan2 · February 6, 2014

Tuesday August 19th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: Sixfields Stadium

Northampton Town (5th) vs. Dartford (21st)

A couple of changes for this midweek game, Coke debuts, Jordan Jones sees his first game of the season on the right, in place of Hackett.

In the game itself it took us 2 mins and 25 seconds to score the opening goal, a slick passing move culminating in Eccelston, free in the box, calmly slotting the ball past the keeper. Eccleston scored a second on ten minutes, in the right place at the right time as a Fallon shot was saved and palmed into Eccleston’s path for him to tuck the ball into the now empty net.

The Dartford keeper then performed heroics to keep the score down. But we did get a third, on 31 minutes with a Fallon turn and shot from 10 yards out. We were all over Dartford it was one way traffic, but we got to half time, with the same score, three goals up.

Another very positive half time team talk, was met with another positive response. We were four up within two minutes of the restart, Jones with his first goal of the season, another beneficiary of the loose ball in the box following a corner routine. I chose to bring Legge on in place of Hammar who was carrying a knock on 49. Coke departed with injury on 51. Keegan on for him, moving onto the right wing with Jones moving into the centre.

The game kind of faded out then. We had won, and won handsomely. Moved up to third with a 100% record from our first three games, the only teams above us Wrexham and Oxford were 100% after four. It was apparently already shaping up to be a battle between these three sides for the league title in nine or so months’ time.

Final Score: Northampton Town 4-0 Dartford

League Position: 3rd

Scorers : Eccleston 2, Fallon, Jones

Man Of The Match: Jordan Jones

Team: Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Hammar (Legge 49), Armstrong, Jones, Junior , Coke (Keegan 51), Corry, Fallon, Eccleston

chesterfan2 · February 7, 2014

Saturday August 23rd 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: The International Stadium, Gateshead.

Gateshead (8th) vs. Northampton Town (3rd)

Legge stepped in for the injured Hammar, who’ll be out for at least a month, otherwise a fairly normal team selection.

The game ebbed and flowed for the first 15 minutes. We had good spells and half chances, and they had good spells and half chances, but it was us who got on the board first, with an Eccleston goal on 16 minutes. Persistence had led to the chance falling to him inside the box, and he made no mistake, dispatching it wide of the keeper and into the net. Gateshead came back at us though and took a grip on the game, They equalised on 27 minutes, a well taken chance, and the first goal we had conceded so far this year. Within three minutes they were ahead and it was our left back Joe Widdowson who was left holding his head in his hands as he inadvertently put the ball into his own net under tremendous pressure to try and clear from under his own bar.

I was looking for an immediate reaction to this setback, and we got one, on 33 minutes, an attack that involved slick passing, to create a chance in the box, for Keegan to shoot home from an angle. The rest of the half passed by quickly. A hundred miles an hour, with neither side creating anything clearcut.

Two each at half time, and in keeping with my current positive demeanour, I told them we could win this game, and sent them back out. It seemed to work as Nathan Eccleston got his second with a sumptuous drive that flew past the keeper from the edge of the D, with less than two minutes gone of the second period. It was all us at this time. I wasn’t stupid enough to think Gateshead wouldn’t get further chances so I was mightily relieved just shy of the hour we extended our lead, when Jordan Keegan hit a beautiful free kick around the end of the wall and into the top corner, the keeper flapping helplessly at it.

I was right about them coming back. They threw everything at us, but we withstood this onslaught with ease. Fallon then, on 67, had the chance to put the game beyond reach, as he caught them on the break, but he hit the post after drawing the keeper, and the ball was hacked clear. The miss in itself seemed to dent the opposition's momentum much more than ours though and we ended up running out comfortable winners.

Final Score: Gateshead 2-4 Northampton Town

League Position: 3rd

Scorers : Eccleston 2, Keegan 2,

Man Of The Match: Jordan Keegan

Team: Nicholls, Mendy, Widdowson, Legge, Armstrong, Hackett, Junior ,Corry , Keegan, Fallon, Eccleston

At the top Wrexham won at Dartford to preserve their 100% record after 5 games. In second Oxford dropped their first points of the season, but remained unbeaten as they drew 1:1 at home to Hayes & Yeading. We stay third with 100% from 4 games

chesterfan2 · February 11, 2014

Wednesday August 27th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: Sixfields Stadium

Northampton Town (3rd) vs. Hereford (17th)

With Tyler Fulton still not quite back from his injury, Leon Legge got to keep his place, in this, our game in hand. The rest of the team was unchanged too, against a Hereford team who may well be underperforming so far this season with just the one win out of their four games so far. In those games they have a grand total of one goal.

We started well and were a goal up in five minutes. Leon Legge heading home, unchallenged, our first corner of the game. The next development in the game was a little less positive, Junior having to limp off with an injury on 17 mins, replaced by Jordan Jones. Eccelston had a goal disallowed on 25 for a very close offside decision, but we didn’t ease off and on 33 we were two up as Keegan shot through a crowd of players into the bottom right hand corner from the edge of the box.

Two-nil up at half time and comfortable. I took the opportunity to give Twardzik a run out, Fallon given the second half off. Well we pushed forward and dominated the second period, but no more goals followed, Mendy went off with a knock late on, and a two goal win followed. Five wins out of five, now top of the table on the basis of having scored more goals than Wrexham, the only other 100% team.

Final Score: Northampton Town 2-0 Hereford United

League Position: 1st

Scorers : Legge, Keegan

Man Of The Match: Nathan Eccleston

Team: Nicholls, Mendy (Byrne 85), Widdowson, Legge, Armstrong, Hackett, Junior (Jones 17) ,Corry , Keegan, Fallon (Twardzik 45), Eccleston

chesterfan2 · February 12, 2014

Saturday August 30th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: Sixfields Stadium

Northampton Town (1st) vs. Macclesfield (22nd)

Macclesfield, far from being the side that dogged us for so long last season, have made an appalling start to the season. Two points from five games, shocking, but to me, it just meant someone, somewhere was going to meet a wounded animal of a side at some point. I hoped it wasn’t going to be us. Junior was diagnosed with concussion after the last game and so is unavailable, on doctor’s order, for this one. Jones takes his place, Coke moving onto the bench. Also on the bench after a layoff was Fulton, not match fit, but ready and willing to play.

After getting the better of the opening exchanges the game settled down to a midfield battle that neither side could really get a foothold in. This lasted until the half hour mark when we suddenly started to pass the ball much better, and we started to create half chances. It was down to the brilliance of Jordan Jones that we managed to convert one of those chances on 33 minutes, a sweet drive by Jones from a full 20 yards that few in. This spurred Macclesfield into life and they came back into the game. They were unlucky not to equalise on the stroke of half time, hitting a post, the keeper well beaten, the rebound hacked desperately away, but hold on we did. Half time, one up.

I told them at half time they could play better, and a little more cautiously as well. But Macclesfield came out like they had been told off in no uncertain terms and once again applied the pressure. This time, on 50, they were rewarded with a goal. Sloppy defending to not head a cross from deep away in my book, we should have done better, some training needs there I fancy.

We didn’t respond like I would have hoped we would and I responded to that by replacing Legge and Keegan, both very average today, with Fulton and Coke on 70. Things picked up from there but we couldn’t engineer a winner and the final result was a one all draw. We drop to second as Wrexham won again.

Final Score: Northampton Town 1-1 Macclesfield

League Position: 2nd

Scorers : Jones

Man Of The Match: Lee Nicholls

Team: Nicholls, Mendy , Widdowson, Legge (Fulton 70), Armstrong, Hackett, Jones ,Corry , Keegan (Coke 70), Fallon, Eccleston

So onto transfer deadline day, and a last chance to add, even temporarily, some better players, some better depth. We signed one lad to a permanent deal, Ibrahima Keita is, 18, a centre-forward, fresh from the youth policy at Wolves, he goes straight into the reserves, but will see some playing time if any kind of injury crisis occurs through the season. We signed three players on short term loan deals. A forward, Jack Sampson, 21, from Bolton, a defender Josh Thompson, 23 from Portsmouth and a right midfielder, Danny Laverty, 19, from Blackburn. Each of them offers some depth to the positions they cover.

mark wilson27 · February 12, 2014

An excellent start to the season, I was going to wait till you dropped a point before commenting as I didnt want to be the one to curse your starting form...

chesterfan2 · February 14, 2014

we managed that on our own, mate, but thanks for the consideration

Tuesday September 2nd 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: Kingfield Stadium

Woking(22nd) vs. Northampton Town (2nd)

After the disappointment of the last match I did make a couple of changes. New loan signing Josh Thompson gets the start at the back in place of Legge, and Gutteridge gets his first start of the season in the midfield. Keegan moves to the right and Coke plays on the left.

In the pre-game talk I told the lads if they played their own game then they would win, the seemed to visibly relax and I hoped that that would do us well. It seemed that it would as we opened up well, playing expansive football and creating chances. We met a Woking goalkeeper in fine form, capable of withstanding anything we threw at him, two saves from Fallon headers close-in were particular highlights. However on 38 minutes, his luck ran out, as another Widdowson corner, met powerfully by Fallon was parried once more by the keeper, but the rebound fell to Eccleston who had no problem in knocking in his fifth goal of the season from close range.

So a single goal to the good at half time, and I told them not to get complacent as my half time team talk. It seemed to focus the majority of the players. We played ok at the start of the second half, but Woking looked an entirely different prospect and put us under real pressure, without ever really stretching Nicholls. On 72 minutes we scored a breakaway goal, to make it two. Eccleston took the ball on the half way line, took the ball past the last defender, rounded the keeper as he rushed out and slotted the ball into an empty net.

Final Score: Woking 0-2 Northampton Town

League Position: 2nd

Scorers : Eccleston 2

Man Of The Match: Nathan Eccleston

Team: Nicholls, Mendy , Widdowson, Fulton , Thompson, Keegan, Gutteridge ,Corry , Coke, Fallon, Eccleston

We had a couple of match days off due to international commitments during which Wrexham won one and finally lost one, away at Oxford, who move second.

chesterfan2 · February 14, 2014

Saturday September 13th 2014

Blue Square Premier Division

Venue: Sixfields Stadium

Northampton Town (3rd) vs. Halifax(15th)

Halifax looked to be getting a slow start to the season back on track in recent games but a 1-3 turnover at Exeter in the previous game has seen them slump to 15th. Of course that meant only minor changes to the last match were necessary, or indeed desirable. Hackett came in for Gutteridge, and we rearranged the midfield accordingly.

The tittle-tattlers had recorded in the press that Rory Fallon hadn’t scored in 392 minutes of football. He’d created five in that time, so it wasn’t an issue with me, it was beginning to bother him though, so it was nice when he opened the scoring in the 16th minute, flicking in a corner from short range. Eccelston made it two on 27, capitalising on a defensive error to score. Three on 37, as a slick passing move saw Keegan, from just inside the box, shoot in off the post.

So, half time three up and Giles Coke in the middle of the park pulling all the strings. We were purring like a kitten and winning this game at a canter. A lot of enthusiasm for the team talk, not much substance, and out they went again.

They played even better football in the second half, but without as much fortune in front of goal. The Halifax keeper produced a number of excellent saves, there were some narrow misses, and there was just the one extra goal, a second one for Jordan Keegan on 88, the end of a flowing move. That was it, for a particularly one sided game. Halifax massed a total of two shots, both off target, for the entire match. We managed 15, some of them on target. In other games, Wrexham thrashed Mansfield 5-2, and Oxford scored late on to get a 1-0 win at Eastleigh, and keep second spot in the league, ahead of us.

Final Score: Northampton Town 4-0 Halifax Town

League Position: 3rd

Scorers : Fallon, Eccleston, Keegan 2

Man Of The Match: Jordan Keegan

Team: Nicholls, Mendy , Widdowson, Fulton , Thompson, Hackett (Jones 70), Coke ,Corry , Keegan, Fallon, Eccleston

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