Northampton Town Match Preview

 

 

NORTHAMPTON TOWN v KETTERING TOWN - SATURDAY 2ND NOVEMBER - SIXFIELDS

 

So it's the match everyone has been waiting for since the draw was made as Kettering Town make the 20 mile journey along the A45 to face County neighbours Northampton Town in the first round of the FA Cup. The match, which is also being broadcast live on the BBC, is the first time The Poppies have played The Cobblers in a competitive fixture for 35 years. That match in November 1989 ended in a 1-0 win for Northampton at Rockingham Road. 

Saturday's match is in truth a free hit for The Poppies. They have nothing to lose at all and all the pressure to win the game will be on Northampton. They should beat Kettering, They sit 79 places above The Poppies in the football Pyramid. But this is the FA Cup and over the years bigger shocks have been seen. Kettering are a team full of confidence at the moment and have a lot of players in excellent form that will also be able to use this high profiled, televised match as a chance to put themselves in the shop window.

As Poppies manager Richard Lavery pointed out in one of his many pre-match interviews on the day it's 11 men v 11 men and why can't The Poppies go to Sixfields and get a victory?. One thing that is for sure Northampton would be very foolish to underestimate this Poppies team.

 

Regarding team selection for the match Lavery has said he faces a selection headache, but a good one as his squad are close to full strength. Dan Jarvis should return to the squad having missed the last three games but this match may come just too soon for Kai Fifield. The Poppies will however definitely be without striker Jonny Edwards who is cup tied having played for his previous club St Ives Town earlier in the competition. It is expected that Nile Ranger will return to the starting line up to lead the attack having been on the bench for the last two fixtures. 

 

A LOOK AT NORTHAMPTON TOWN FC

 

"The Cobblers" are managed by former Poppies title-winning midfielder Jon Brady. Brady played 41 times as Mark Cooper's Kettering side romped away with the Blue Square North league title in 2008. He was appointed Cobblers manager in May 2021 and has done a fantastic job at Sixfields. 

 

However for Saturday's fixture he is facing a real injury crisis. Definitely out injured for Northampton are defenders Luke Mbete, Patrick Brough, Ali Koiki, Aaron McGowan, Jordan Willis and Harvey Lintott. But it's up front The Cobblers are really struggling and they could be without all of their senior first team strikers. Callum Morton, Sam Hoskins and James Wilson are all injured. Tyler Roberts will be serving a ban after being sent off in the midweek defeat to Lincoln City and Tom Eaves is rated a doubtful after going off with a nasty facial injury at Sincil Bank.

 

All that could see Cobblers academy striker Neo Dobson, recalled from a loan spell at Corby Town leading the line. Dobson will be familiar to Poppies fans after he spent a month on loan at Latimer Park under Jim Le Masurier last season.

Last five results

 

Lincoln City (A) - L.1-2

Crawley Town (H) - W.3-0

Stockport County (A) - D.1-1

Leyton Orient (H) - W.1-0

Wrexham (A) - L.1-4

Top Goalscorer: Cameron McGeehan (4)

Last time we met....

 

Saturday November 18th 1989 - FA Cup 1st Round

Kettering Town 0 Northampton Town 1 (Thomas 69)

Att: 6100

Kettering Team: Shoemake, Nightingale, S.Collins, Richardson, Slack, Brown, Keast, Wright, Horwood, Cooke, Genovese.....Subs: Moss, Edwards

Northampton Team: Gleasure, Chard, Gernon, Thomas, Wilcox, McPherson, Berry, Sanderman, D.Collins, Barnes, Quow.....Subs: Brown, Wilson