Northampton Town manager Chris Hogg has predicted big things for Swindon Town this season after the clubs drew 0-0 on the opening day. On a warm first day of the League Two season at Sixfields Stadium, Swindon and Northampton were not quite so red hot, with the two sides struggling to break each other down. The two teams combined for 1.1 xG, with The Cobblers having all three shots on target, but neither side could come away disappointed not to have maximum points.
What happened?
After the match, Hogg was not too disheartened with a draw in his first match as a manager, and had high expectations for what Swindon could accomplish this season. Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, he said: "It wasn’t a classic, free-flowing game of football, which I don’t think that it was ever going to be on a hot first game of the season. “I was really pleased with the team for their attitude, effort, and some of their intentions in the game. Ultimately, we will take the clean sheet as a building block for us.
Why it matters for Northampton Town
Having been among the best attacking sides in the division last season, Northampton were able to keep Town at arm’s length, and Ian Holloway praised them for that. He said: “We didn’t have enough shots, we didn’t have enough chances, and we didn’t have enough cohesion to us. “That is largely credit to them, from where they were, I thought what their manager has done after just taking over was impressive.
What comes next?
The two teams will face each other again soon, and Hogg believes that Swindon will be a top team this season. He said: “We knew this was going to be a challenge, because they were a top team last year at this level, and I think they will be right up there again. “For the out-of-possession stuff, we got a clean sheet, which is a big positive, and then the in-possession stuff, there were times when we got it right and were brave enough to play and connected.”
Northampton Town are currently 24th in League One, with 35 points from 46 games, and a goal difference of -35. They have scored 39 goals this season, and conceded 74. They are 68 points behind the leaders, Lincoln.
The match was played on a warm first day of the League Two season at Sixfields Stadium, and the two teams struggled to break each other down. The Cobblers had all three shots on target, but neither side could come away disappointed not to have maximum points.
