Northampton Town prepare for a key League Two home fixture against Oldham Athletic this Saturday, needing a result to stop a slide in form. The Cobblers have lost their last two matches and sit 22nd in the table with just six points from seven games. Their goal difference stands at minus four, and they are only two points clear of the relegation zone. The immediate objective for manager Jon Brady will be to secure a win that could lift them towards the safety of mid-table.
Manager Jon Brady is likely to stick with a 4-4-2 shape after using it in the 1-0 home defeat to Rotherham United last time out. That starting line-up featured Zak Jeacock in goal, a back four of Josh Wormleighton, Max Dyche, Emmanuel Moore and Jon Guthrie, with Owen Dale, Tyrese Fornah, Jack O'Brien-Whitmarsh and Joshua Alan Powell in midfield, and Sam Chambers partnering Nana Opoku up front. Brady has emphasised the need for greater defensive solidity after conceding late goals in recent weeks.
The visitors, currently 20th, arrive with a mixed bag of recent results. Their last outing was a 5-3-2 formation against Salford City, with Mark Hudson in goal and a defence including Gus Scott-Morriss and Ryan Delaney. Their attack is led by Chris Kavanagh and Mike Fondop-Talum. Oldham's last five games include a 2-0 win over Port Vale but also a 2-0 loss to Stoke City. They have accumulated eight points from their opening seven fixtures, putting them two points and two places above Northampton.
With only one win in their last five league matches, Northampton's need for points is urgent. The recent 2-0 loss at Shrewsbury and the 1-1 draw at Gillingham have contributed to a run of two draws, two defeats and a single victory. A positive result against a team just two places above them is vital for momentum. The full League Two standings show the tight nature of the battle at the bottom, where a single victory can propel a team several places up the league.
The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, 3 October at Sixfields Stadium. Northampton's next assignment after this is a trip to face Barnet, the current league leaders, in a match that will present a stern test regardless of this weekend's outcome.
