Chris Wilder writes
After two games on the road it's good to be at home again today for a big game and what can be considered a local derby. There should be a good atmosphere here today, especially with the Ultimate Support
Saturday planned by our fans as well as a decent away following.
Northampton will bring a strong side. In Aidy Boothroyd and Andy King they have two proper football men who have achieved a lot and are respected throughout the game. Aidy was one of the many people in and around the game who have been in touch just to say that we are on the right lines and to keep going. We have absolute faith in what we are doing but it is always nice to hear that other football people, both inside and outside the club, can see what is happening and that we are not too far away from turning the corner now. I'd like to thank those people; they know who they are. Even though it is a cut-throat business and people look at the results, it has been good to know that people have taken the time to pass on their support and that they recognise what you have done, what you are doing, and what is happening in individual circumstances.
We certainly won't underestimate our opponents today, but I guess that will be the same in the other dug out as well if they have seen us over the last few games. This is a very tight league and anyone can beat anyone still.
Our last home game against Torquay was a positive performance and if I'm honest I was staggered to only take one point away from that match. We dominated the 90 minutes and definitely deserved to win the game, and we then saw at close hand how close the margins are at this level. We lost at Chesterfield after goals in the 49th and 92nd minutes, and were denied a win at Barnet by the ball striking both posts and not going in.
It was a tough evening at Barnet, who were much improved since we last played them, but we at least picked up a point to get us moving forward again. We have lost Johnny Mullins this week and are still without Deane Smalley and Tom Craddock as well as Michael Duberry and Damian Batt, just as we have been without Alfie Potter, Liam Davis and Sean Rigg at times recently.
Hopefully all three of those players will be available today, but whoever is selected and involved we know we have to knuckle down and get on with it. Our visitors today were on the same points as us two weeks ago and went to Barnet and lost 4-0, but since then they have put a little run together and shot up the table.
We are more than capable of getting a run together ourselves but maybe one of our faults has been that we look too far ahead. The most important game was Tuesday, and as soon as that ended we needed to focus only on today's match. Northampton have shown what can happen once you get your important players back, but we need to get one result at a time and the rest will take care of itself.
With your continued backing we know that if we believe in the process and the principles that have taken us so far we will start picking up the results and the points. Hopefully starting today.
Chris