Another visiting manager thinks Christmas has come early
Last updated : 27 October 2007 By The Chairman
Northampton manager Stuart Gray was delighted with his sides 1-0 win at Boundary Park. He told the official Cobblers website, "That first away win has been a long time coming. We thought it was going to come at Leyton Orient and then at Tranmere but it didn't and we're absolutely delighted to get that first away win. We wanted to get that monkey off our back and I think a few of the lads who were involved in the game here last year wanted to put that result right as well. It was a bit of a scrappy game really and it just needed someone to take it by the scruff of the neck. I made a couple of changes to the side to try and make us a bit more compact and solid but it is important to remember that its not always the team that starts that wins you the game but the team that finishes. Things started to open up a little bit in the second half and I felt we should get ourselves established in the match first and then we made a couple of changes to try and open up and win the game. Sometimes your changes work and sometimes they don't but thankfully in this instance they did and it was a tremendous strike from Alex Russell."
"Andy Holt was a loss to us because he is a real threat in the air and I just felt with the way that Oldham play we'd be more suited to playing three at the back. Leaving Poul Hubertz and Alex Russell out was a bit of a gamble but they were great players to bring on and when they did come on I think they really influenced the game. Ryan Gilligan won us the game last week, he wasn't as big an influence in this game but he did create us that little bit of extra space. Every manager up and down the country will always say 'what if' but I know that we should have taken something against Yeovil at home and we perhaps should have picked up some more points on the road as well. For the moment we just want to enjoy this win but come Monday morning our focus will be fully on next Saturday's home game against Southend. Winning breeds confidence and the lads are really buzzing at the moment. We don't fear anyone in this league, the confidence is there and the games can't come round quickly enough for the players."