GrangeParkCobbler
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« on: January 13, 2021, 20:42:44 pm » |
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Before we embark on a run of three consecutive away games we have the small matter of a home league game against localish rivals Oxford United. Its a quick turnaround against a team we lost 4-0 at home to just four weeks ago. That result was the first in what is now a 5 match winning streak for the U's, the league wins have helped propel them from the relegation zone to the heady heights of 12th in the table, now just five points off the playoff positions but still only seven outside of the bottom four! They had four draws before the five wins so the unbeaten run stands at nine games, their last defeat was a 2-1 home loss to local rivals Swindon at the end of November. Their last defeat on the road in any competition came a month before that when they went down 2-0 at Fleetwood on Hallowe'en. 4 wins in the league away from home so far this season, those coming at Accrington, Wigan, Plymouth and Burton, to go alongside five defeats. In their last four league games they have scored 14 goals.
They won 1-0 last night (Tuesday) against Cambridge in the PJT, that coming after a ten day rest like us, but they made nine changes to their starting line up from their previous league game.
Top scorer for the U's is Matty Taylor with nine including two against us last month, Olamide Shodipo has weighed in with seven in all competitions (6 in the league) and he too scored against us last time out. Shodipo came on after an hour against Cambridge whilst Taylor remained on the bench throughout so expect both to be fully rested and both to play against us on Saturday.
Head to head, well now 35 games between the sides, we edge the wins with 16 to their 15, just four draws in the 35 games. Three of those draws have come in Northampton, with us winning nine times and the U's just twice, their last win on our patch was in 2014, and in the three games at Sixfields since then they have failed to register a goal although in two of those games neither did we!
Referee for the game is scheduled to be Thomas Bramall from South Yorkshire. He has refereed 16 games this season, flashing 37 yellow and two red cards. Its a speedy return for him to Sixfields as he was in the middle for our goalless draw with MK Dons in November. Prior to that he was in the middle for our last day win at Oldham in 2019 and also for the defeat to Port Vale early in the same season, a game in which he sent off Aaron Pierre. He's only refereed Oxford twice in recent seasons and both times resulting in defeats for the U's....I know, clutching at straws somewhat!!
As for team news, as I said Oxford made many changes to the side for the PJT game whereas we didn't. Sean Clare came on as a sub for Oxford at half time in that 4-0 win over us, but he left the club yesterday joining Burton Albion on loan for the rest of the season, and veteran John Mousinho, the man Clare replaced at half time in that game is out for the season due to the knee injury that flared up and forced him off.
Still a couple of days of possible transfer activity remaining so I wouldn't like to guess any further on team selections for either side.
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The Hotel End GTA Champion 2006/7, 2007/8, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2018/19
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Melbourne Cobbler
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« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2021, 02:01:51 am » |
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Outstanding work as ever GPC, cheers.
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Not a real supporter but unelected chair of the Northampton Town Honorary Supporters Club. (Please note: any opinions given may not necessarily be shared by proper supporters. In incidents of conflict the views of real supporters shall take precedence).
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Dr Feelgood
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« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2021, 02:47:35 am » |
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Outstanding work as ever GPC, cheers.
he's the greatest.. Unfortunately we're not so a 2-0 loss coming up.
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For goodness sake Doc we are NOT going down you heard it here 1st (I damn well hope that does not come back to haunt me)
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Manwork04
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« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2021, 07:10:35 am » |
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De ja vu 0-4 Poxford
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Rule Britannia
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BackOfTheNet
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« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2021, 07:35:45 am » |
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Chron reporting Sheehan doubtful for this game, so I'm also going for 0-4 Oxford.
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The Hotelend Grand National* Sweepstake Champion 2020
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everbrite
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« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2021, 07:48:22 am » |
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Chron reporting Sheehan doubtful for this game, so I'm also going for 0-4 Oxford.
Oh dear if true about Sheehan; sorry can't join you all in the impending doom show on Saturday. I merely hope for the best👍
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2020 Grand National S/S 3rd Place
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Clint
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« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2021, 08:24:34 am » |
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3 - nil defeat I fear.
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Ragdoll Cobbler
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« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2021, 08:35:15 am » |
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Can see yet another standard 0-2 home defeat i'm afraid Set up not to lose, let Oxford dictate play (like MK but with a better cutting edge) We may or may not have 1 shot on target & perhaps a corner or two... If Smith starts ahead of Rose
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Manwork04
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« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2021, 09:51:56 am » |
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What has it come to when one player,34 years old, who is injury prone is not playing we know we are in for a torrid afternoon, basically he is the only member of the back line who can pass and tackle.......
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Rule Britannia
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singcobb
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« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2021, 10:15:33 am » |
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I'm feeling optimistic about this one. A dour hard grind for 1-0 after scoring in 10 minutes and going backs to the wall for the rest of the match.
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Grove
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« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2021, 11:28:26 am » |
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What has it come to when one player,34 years old, who is injury prone is not playing we know we are in for a torrid afternoon, basically he is the only member of the back line who can pass and tackle.......
Similar to last season with MCCormack,, although very good players they were without clubs for a reason
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west stand oap
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« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2021, 11:39:45 am » |
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Home games against Oxford have usually been low scoring affairs with a total of only 29 goals from 16 games - average of less than 2 goals per game. We have won 10, drawn 3 and lost 3 scoring 18 and conceding 11. Oxford have failed to score in 8 of those 16 games and only twice have they scored more than once. We have failed to win any of our 8 home league games on a saturday afternoon, with 2 points from a possible 24 and only 2 goals scored. We have also failed to score in 8 of our 12 home league games and we have just 3 clean sheets. Oxford have failed to score in 5 of their 11 away league games and have only 1 clean sheet. After losing 5 of their first 6 away games they have won 4 and drawn 1 of the last 5 away games. Although they have scored 16 times in these 11 games strangely 12 of the goals have come from just 3 games, 4 scored at Accrington, 3 at Plymouth and 5 in their last away game at Burton. Therefor in the other 8 away games they have only scored 4 goals. I hope we are not going to concede possession like we did in the first half against MK because Oxford's defense is not the best and we need to adopt a more attacking policy than we did on tuesday when we never looked like scoring.
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Welly Cobb
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« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2021, 13:53:00 pm » |
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I assume Lloyd Jones will be back, so Mills can push out to wing-back where he should be, unless we want to drop Bolger.
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guest3355
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« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2021, 13:56:10 pm » |
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Mildly more confident now we've signed a couple.
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Irchy cob
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« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2021, 14:02:26 pm » |
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Got to think this might be in doubt given the state of the pitch and the constant rain over the last few days also the forecast for Saturday is poor.
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Winslow Lee
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« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2021, 14:14:17 pm » |
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Mildly more confident now we've signed a couple.
I hope you’re right, initially though the signings have not made me anymore confident.
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yayo bayo
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« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2021, 14:52:55 pm » |
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At least one of our usual first 11 is self-isolating, so we may have a decimated team for Saturday!
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Deepcut Cobbler
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« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2021, 15:35:04 pm » |
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At least one of our usual first 11 is self-isolating, so we may have a decimated team for Saturday!
Especially if it's the Sean the Mac...
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“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.” Laurence Binyon
The Hotelend Grand National Sweepstake Champion 2009
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Ragdoll Cobbler
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« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2021, 16:22:24 pm » |
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At least one of our usual first 11 is self-isolating, so we may have a decimated team for Saturday!
Hopefully, it's Watson, as I think he's suspended Sat anyway...
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