A week ago we didn’t get our ‘reason to believe’. This time around we needed it with bells on, our last chance for an Xmas prezzie. Up against a team with only one win in six (like us), close to the relegation zone, and with an interim manager (one who had overseen a thumping at Peterborough). Three points please Santa, with a few goals thrown in for good measure. And for once Santa gave us what we wanted – although as football is a zero-sum game you would also have to conclude that Northampton fans must have been very, very naughty over the past year. And to continue the theme, I’m sure I’m not the only one to highlight Jesus coming to town for his birthday and sticking five past Palace in a week.
With confirmation of the team came the news that a bug had laid low some players, making it difficult to discern which of the four changes from the Mansfield game were choices and which were enforced. Anderson and Godden dropped to the bench while Taylor and Kanu didn’t make the squad. It left us with an assumed 3-5-2 with Jones, Mitchell and Gillesphey the three centre-backs in front of Maynard-Brewer (still holding off Mannion), with it turned out Small switching sides and Edwards the left-sided wing-back. Docherty and Berry came into midfield to operate alongside Coventry, while up front Leaburn and Campbell(T) started. On the bench would be Edmonds-Green as the sole defensive back-up, Anderson and Campbell(A) for midfield, and three replacement forwards, Ahadme, Godden and Hylton.
I can’t answer for the fitness of the individuals, but before the game I wrote that if it were Godden alongside Leaburn it was pretty much the side I’ve have chosen. Docherty and Berry have yet to really make their mark, but they were bought to do so, give them the chance, especially as Anderson has been struggling of late, while reverting to a ‘big man/little man’ combo up front made sense. Whether Edwards or Small should operate as the left-sided wing-back is a split decision for me, as is whether Edwards or Potts might replace Gillesphey. As for the right-side wing-back, I found it curious that Jones had commented that all those who could play there were currently out, citing Ramsay, Watson and Mitchell(Z). No mention of Asiimwe, who was brought back from loan when Ramsay and Watson were crocked in quick succession. I’ve no idea whether or not he’s looked the part in training, but why on earth did we bring him back only to be ignored? As for the subs, having three forwards on the bench again looked odd, especially if one of them was below-par, when Edun, Potts or Asiimwe might have given better balance.
I sent a text around at the start asking if someone might wake me up at half-time, for obvious reasons, but yesterday rather turned out as the exception that proves the rule. Within the first 10 minutes we were ahead and within 12 we’d scored again and come close with a Leaburn header in between.
Reports on Docherty’s opener talk of the ball dropping to him. That’s not accurate. It was a bit of a scramble in their box as Campbell tried to control a cross, but nothing ‘dropped’ to Docherty. He saw an opportunity and drove forward for it, getting ahead of his marker. He then planted a shot across their keeper and into the net, focusing on placement rather than power (ie he didn’t blaze it over the bar as so many have done before him). He deserves the credit for forging a goal out of very little.
Our second owed more to good play from us than poor defending. Leaburn was allowed the time on our left side to consider his options, but his pass forward and inside was weighted perfectly for an onrushing Campbell to get there first and poke it home. Far too often of late we’ve been choosing the wrong option or executing the pass poorly when in such positions. This time Leaburn got it right, as did Campbell with his timing, to score a very welcome first league goal of his season.
To say that Northampton were all at sea is an understatement. Every time they lost the ball going forward they looked in danger of conceding again, while after an initial threat from their big centre-forward was progressively dealt with by Jones in particular, leaving them looking toothless up front, in addition to being stretched and outfought in midfield and defending not just like schoolboys but like very bad schoolboys.
The game was effectively sealed before the break with a third that was mostly down to that sort of defending. A fairly aimless ball forward was about to be contested by Berry for us, plus their defender. For some reason another defender decided to leave Leaburn and get involved, only for all three to barely get a touch on the ball, which ran on to a now isolated Leaburn. He took it well, scoring with a low shot, but the defending was just shockingly bad.
Football’s arguably an easy game to play when you are three goals to the good, but now we were passing and moving in a fashion totally at odds with many recent performances, taking chances that paid off and created openings. Docherty and Berry were both playing as if someone had really had a go at them – and what a difference it made, both getting forward to lend support while Coventry tidied up well in front of the defence. Northampton provided nothing for their supporters to latch on to.
Not surprisingly Northampton did up their effort in the second half and, with us equally unsurprisingly a little lacklustre, for a while had a majority of possession. They did have one fierce shot which was a little too high and wide. But that really was it and any thoughts of a comeback went out of the window on 68 minutes as we scored again. Berry did well down our right and managed to deliver a low cross from the byline back into their area. If found Docherty. While his opener may have been more about placement than power, this time it was both as he hit a crisp shot into the roof of the net.
Game over, cue the changes. On 75 minutes Anderson, Ahadme and Hylton were introduced for Docherty – denied a hattrick but with a MotM display – plus the front two. Campbell(A) later came on for Berry, then Edmonds-Green for Coventry. And just to rub it in, going into stoppage time we worked the ball on our right side and played in Mitchell, with half the Northampton defence moving forward to play offside and the other half quite simply not. He took it on and was able to pick out his man, providing the assist for Hylton to do what he had singularly failed to do while at Northampton (in 30 appearances), ie score.
Just as it was hard to say whether the team selection was down to choices made or the fitness of individuals given the bug, so we can’t sing the praises of our performance without putting it into the context of the opposition. That said, Docherty and Berry took the game by the scruff of the neck, backed up by those around them, while both of the front two scored and the defence snuffed out whatever threat there might have been.
Suffice to say, as Jones acknowledged post-match, it has to be followed up with similar if not better displays. The bar was set high early this season and standards subsequently dropped, the task now – hopefully helped by renewed confidence – is to avoid that happening. Four points off a play-off place may be slightly misleading, given could easily make it seven with their game in hand, and we have at least five places to climb. But at least this morning we are looking looking up.