23rd October 2000  

More Northampton review

ATHLETIC have rejected the chance to sign Canadian international Mark Watson on a permanent contract. The experienced defender, who has 62 caps for his country, left Boundary Park over the weekend and resumed his search for a club. Watson was with Oxford last season, but he turned down a three-year contract, plus the captaincy, because they wanted him to quit international football. Athletic signed him for a one-month trial, during which he started two games and came off the bench once. Manager Andy Ritchie said: "Mark didn't do anything wrong, but there are other areas to look at because we are okay for centre-backs at the moment. "Ben Futcher has been doing quite well in the reserves, and we also have Barry Prenderville to come back from injury."

Following the decisions to release Chris Lightfoot and Paul Smith from their loan spells, Watson became the third departure in a week. A fourth quickly followed when, as expected, Steve Whitehall completed his free transfer to Chester City. Whitehall (33) was a prolific scorer at Rochdale and Mansfield, from where he joined Athletic for £40,000. But he had a modest record of 13 goals in 76 league games at Boundary Park and has dropped into the Nationwide Conference, signing a contract to the summer of 2003. Ritchie is trying to trim his squad so he can finance the signing of a striker, probably on loan. He recently failed to bring Manchester City's Danny Allsopp to Boundary Park but said: "There may be a bit of leeway at the moment, so I'm making strikers the priority."

Ritchie was encouraged by some of Athletic's football at Northampton on Saturday, but they missed several chances to take a point. It left the manager frustrated and could spark him into action before next weekend's game at Bristol Rovers, for which Craig Dudley is suspended. Before then, Athletic are at home to second-from-bottom Luton tomorrow in a game Ritchie describes as "very big for both clubs". Shaun Garnett is available as, before the Northampton trip, he had collected four bookings, not the five originally thought. But Garnett did reach the landmark on Saturday and will now miss Swansea's visit on November 4.

ANY neutral who went along to Sixfields Stadium on Saturday witnessed enough thrills, spills and excitement to keep them going until Christmas. This was a wonderful, action-packed advert for second division football — and one which the underdogs could easily have won. Lowly Athletic kept up their recent improvement with a gutsy display punctuated by fast-flowing football and half a dozen golden chances. If their finishing had matched their effort and approach play, they would have emerged from a daunting fixture with at least a draw, and probably more. Daunting? Northampton may have come up only last season, but they are virtually unbeatable at their neat, if characterless, home ground. Moreover, they have most of the ingredients needed for another promotion push, making it no surprise that they are within two points of the play-off places. Athletic, on the other hand, remain in trouble. And two points from seven away games is a bad return in anyone’s language. If they continue to perform like this, however, that record will show a big improvement and help them to climb away from danger.

There were certainly areas with which fault could be found, a sign of that being Andy Ritchie’s assertion that “it could have finished 8-4”. But the difference between this away day and the last, at Rotherham, was enormous. The true test of Athletic’s new 4-4-2 formation was whether it would work away from Boundary Park. On Saturday, the answer was indeterminate — yes at one end, no at the other. Northampton provided a stern challenge by often using three up front and, in defence, Athletic struggled right from the start. Mark Innes — who, to be fair, is new to the left-back berth — was exposed by John Hodge, a terrific winger who seemed to have the ball super-glued to his right boot. Centre-halves Shaun Garnett and Mark Hotte found themselves dragged out of position when the home forwards dropped off and, almost every time that happened, Northampton were quick to attack the space behind. It says much for the tendency to be caught out that goalkeeper Gary Kelly was the visitors’ man of the match. He made a series of excellent saves, including one in the second half of real international quality. But Northampton were even more indebted to their ‘keeper, Keith Welch, who was touted as an England prospect when he started out at Rochdale.

Welch had an absolute blinder, being beaten only by an own goal, and Craig Dudley, in particular, must have been sick of the sight of him. After hitting three goals in two games, Dudley played with the sparkle that only a run of good form can bring. Once inside the box, however, the frailties of his finishing ultimately cost his side dear. Almost all of Athletic’s chances fell to the 21-year-old, while it was left to strike partner Carlo Corazzin to engage in a bruising battle with Northampton’s three centre-backs, all of them uncompromising six-footers. Corazzin was desperate to make his mark against the club he left in the summer, but his frustration at the end was matched by the whole of Athletic’s team. They had strained every sinew in search of that first away win, only to be denied any reward for the best performance of the season on their travels. Northampton started brightly, with Marco Gabbiadini setting the tone for the afternoon by firing wide in the fourth minute. But Athletic had a half-chance of their own as Dudley latched on to Corazzin’s first-time pass before failing to shoot with any power. It was the signal for Athletic to step up a gear, and a well-worked short corner saw David Eyres bring a good save from Welch. Dudley had a better opening at the midway point of the half, only to snatch at his shot when a cooler head was required. Athletic went behind in the 26th minute — and it was another goal which should have been avoided.

It stemmed from a corner needlessly conceded by Garnett’s stray back-pass. The set-piece was met by Richard Green and, though Kelly blocked his far-post header, Jamie Forrester pounced to tuck away the rebound. Northampton almost doubled their lead a minute later as Hodge’s inspired play down the right turned Innes inside out and brought Kelly back into the action. For a while, Athletic barely escaped from their own half. But when they did, after 37 minutes, Dudley fluffed a crystal-clear chance from Tony Carss’ pass by allowing Welch to thwart him in a one-on-one. The ’keeper also tipped over a Neil Adams free-kick, while, just after the break, Kelly had to be alert to dive at Chris Hargreaves’ feet. Next, Athletic’s number one spread himself superbly to deflect Dave Savage’s shot round the post. And, as the game continued to gather pace, Corazzin couldn’t quite control his header after Scott McNiven’s run and cross. Dudley had another great opening after turning well and out-running his marker. Faced by another duel with Welch, the striker again came second best. Only the goalkeepers were preventing a goal feast, a point proved by Kelly when Hodge weaved his way, Kinkladze-like, through a host of tackles. Kelly then made the best save of the lot, somehow blocking Savage’s drive after Northampton cut the visiting defence to shreds. It looked as though a stroke of either genius or luck would be needed. And, to Athletic’s relief, the latter arrived after 65 minutes to provide their equaliser.

Dudley did the spadework down the right, leaving Hargreaves for dead and crossing low into the area. Green slid in to cut it out at the near post, but he only succeeded in diverting the ball past the wrong-footed Welch. Moments later, Dudley’s pace again unhinged the Northampton defence and left him face to face with the ’keeper. By now, there were no prizes for predicting the winner. Athletic had become the more likely scorers. Yet, with only nine minutes to go, it was Northampton who stole the decider. When Hargreaves crossed from the right, Lee Duxbury’s header sent the ball looping to the edge of the area. Waiting for it was Garry Hughes, who showed perfect technique to slam home a first-time volley and provide the game with the splendid winner it deserved.

Teamtalk Oldham

The Latics' exciting young striker Craig Dudley has set himself the target of finishing the season as top-scorer. Dudley has scored three goals in as many games after being recalled to the side and is now level with strike partner Carlo Corrazin. Dudley had thought he was ahead of Corrazin after Saturday's match, but his deflected goal will now go down as an own goal. Dudley's re-emergence as a player of potential has coincided with the diagnosis that he is suffering from asthma. Andy Ritchie was concerned about the 20-year-old's stamina because he was 'huffing and puffing'. The Latics' fitness coach put him through a testing regime in the gym before he was sent back to see his specialist. Dudley admitted: "It was a relief in a way when I knew what was wrong and it lifted a weight off my mind. "I have to go back and sort out what medication I will need, but I am grateful to the gaffer for sticking by me." Dudley's big break came in the recent game against Swindon. He explained: "I got a late call-up after Carlo was injured in training and I was determined to take the chance. "Fortunately I scored the winning goal and then followed that up with two more in the next game.

Northampton Chronicle

YOUNG defender Garry Hughes climbed out his sick-bed to make himself the Cobblers hero against Oldham Athletic at Sixfields. Kevin Wilson’s men looked to have blown their chance of victory against the Latics after Richard Green’s own goal had squared a match the Cobblers should have sewn up early in the second-half. Town were denied by a string of great saves from Oldham goalkeeper Gary Kelly straight after the break, and it was left to 20-year-old Hughes to show his elders how to do this scoring lark with the minutes, and two crucial points, ticking away. Hughes had contacted Wilson on Friday night to say he was a doubt for the game after suffering badly with diarrhoea and sickness. But he shrugged off the effects of the illness in time to make the team, and the Cobblers’ fans inside Sixfields were glad that he did when he struck with just 10 minutes left to secure another important win for Northampton. Substitute Steve Howard’s deep cross was only headed out to the edge of the box where Hughes was waiting. The 20-year-old chose to hit the ball first time on the volley, he struck it sweet, and it flew inside Kelly’s near post.
The relief after Hughes’s goal could be felt all around Sixfields, as this was easily a game the Cobblers could have lost, with Keith Welch once again a hero between the sticks.

Oldham’s Craig Dudley was a constant thorn in the Cobblers’ defence, but the hard fact is he wasn’t up to the job when it came down to it as he came second best in five one-on-ones with Welch - Oldham boss Andy Ritchie must have felt like tearing out the few remaining hairs he has! Oldham dominated the early stages as the Cobblers struggled, relying too much on the long ball.
Marco Gabbiadini fired wide on four minutes after being put through by the excellent John Hodge but it was then Oldham who started to create the chances. Dudley got in behind Richard Dryden but shot weakly at Welch, who then had to be on his toes to tackle the same player after Ian Sampson, in his 300th game for Town, had sold him short with a back-pass. Sampson then blocked a goalbound Dudley effort before Welch dived sharply to his left to keep out a wicked David Eyres shot after the visitors had caught the Cobblers defence sleeping with a short corner. Dudley again shot straight at Welch when clean through after 23 minutes, and his miss proved costly as the Cobblers went straight up the other end to take an undeserved lead. Gabbiadini’s persistence won a corner from which Green’s powerful back-post header was parried away by Kelly, but the ball went straight to Jamie Forrester who made no mistake, stabbing home with his left foot from six yards.

Kelly was then forced to tip over a swerving left-footer from Hodge as the Cobblers began to get a grip, but Welch was again called into action on 38 minutes - that man Dudley once more crumbling under the pressure. Eyres slid a lovely ball in behind the Cobblers defence and Dudley picked his spot from 10 yards, but unfortunately for him, it was the same spot as the Town keeper decided to stick his big left hand and he saved. Wilson must have said a few harsh words at the break, because at the start of the second-half the Cobblers were a joy to watch and it was left to Kelly to single-handedly keep Oldham in the match. He made cracking saves from Dave Savage, twice, Chris Hargreaves and Hodge as Town played some lovely one and two-touch football to time and again split the Oldham defence wide open. But the Cobblers couldn’t find the finishing touch, and were made to pay on 65 minutes.

Former Cobbler Carlo Corazzin had gone close with a header and Dudley, fresh from yet another failure to get past Welch, decided to try his luck on the wing, turned Dryden in front of the west stand and went straight for the byline. He cut the ball back and Green, trying to knock the ball out for a corner, only succeeded in diverting the ball into his own net. The game was now a real end-to-end battle, with Forrester seeing his snap-shot saved by Kelly, before Welch yet again got the better of Dudley, the goalkeeper tipping the ball wide after the youngster chose to shoot early after beating the offside trap.At this point the game could have gone either way, but it was to be the Cobblers who grabbed the glory with Hughes’s impressive late strike. Oldham threw four into attack for the dying minutes, but there were no more scares for Welch and his defenders as they held firm to claim three crucial points and maintain the Cobblers’ unbeaten home record this season.

COBBLERS’ goal hero Garry Hughes has revealed how he very nearly missed out on his match winning moment of glory at Sixfields on Saturday. The 20-year-old wing-back rattled in a 20-yard volley 10 minutes from time to secure a 2-1 win over Oldham Athletic, a result which means the Cobblers are just seven points behind leaders Walsall with two games in hand. But it was revealed that Hughes had spent the majority of Friday night suffering with sickness and diarrhoea. “On Friday night I didn’t think I would play because I felt so rough,” said Hughes. “I phoned Kevin Wilson and he just said to me to try to get a good night’s sleep and see how I felt in the morning. Luckily I woke up and felt quite strong, so I thought I would go ahead and play and I’m pretty pleased that I did now.” The Cobblers missed a hatful of chances to kill off Oldham, with the visitors wasting more than a few opportunities to win the game themselves.

In the end it took a defender scoring his first league goal with a 20-yard volley to settle the issue, and Hughes said: “When it came to me I was just concentrating on keeping the ball down. “I just wanted to make sure I got my knee over the ball and concentrated on trying to get a clean strike on it which I did and it went in. “Their goalkeeper played well and pulled off some great saves, and as a few of the lads said, it had to be a good strike to beat him so I’m just happy it did.” Hughes’s goal sealed a crucial win for the Cobblers, but they could so easily have been on the end of a defeat as both sides wasted a stack of opportunities. Jamie Forrester fired the Cobblers in front in the first-half only for an own goal from Richard Green to level the scores midway through the second-half before Hughes had the final say.

Cobblers old-boy Carlo Corazzin had a quiet game in attack for Oldham, with most of his side’s chances falling to his strike partner Craig Dudley who incredibly failed to score despite having five one-on-ones with Cobblers goalkeeper Keith Welch. Town stay ninth in the Nationwide League Division Two table, which sees just eight points separating the top 10. The Cobblers now travel to the Abbey Stadium for a clash with Cambridge United tomorrow night, and Town fans are reminded this match is all-ticket. Tickets are on sale at the Sixfields club shop until 5pm tonight.