NORTHAMPTON TOWN

Northampton may consider themselves lucky to be in the top seven; Port Vale were hot on their heels and the PPG system certainly did them a favour in staving off that threat. However, don’t think this is a fluke; Keith Curle is no stranger to this stage of the season having been here with Carlisle amongst others.

Northampton will have Alan McCormack from injury, which gives Curle a full set of players to pick from. They will be direct, looking to move from back to front quickly and use the services of renowned target man Vadaine Oliver. The slick Sam Hoskins sits behind either Oliver, or a two-man attack, and has bagged eight league goals, making him their joint leading scorer with Andy Williams.

Like Colchester, Northampton suffer from inconsistency that could have scuppered their top seven chances if the season had played out. They lost six of their last eight fixtures, with opponents Cheltenham, Port Vale and Swindon all beating them. A 2-0 win against Exeter showed their potential, but can they put the bad run behind them having had an extended break, and spring a surprise on Michael Duff’s side?

Our View

There will be a clash of style when Northampton meet Cheltenham and a battle of wits when Colchester and Exeter eye each other up. Both promise to be cagey affairs and whatever form they were in, goes out of the window. Much of the excitement about these games is the unknown; which sides have coped best with the pressure of the recent pandemic?

Controversially, we think Northampton could be a tough prospect for Cheltenham. Coming up against a robust and direct team halfway through the season is one thing, but having them as a first opponent, back to back, after a three-month break is another completely. As for the other semi-final, Colchester are worthy of their top seven place, but Exeter have the big-game experience. 

We fancy a Northampton and Exeter final.