Form
Northampton Town finished 19th in League One last season, two places and five points clear of the relegation zone. This will be their third straight season in the third tier, having won promotion from
League Two in 2023 when finishing third.
The Cobblers are having a better season this term and currently sit 11th – 11 places and six points ahead of Reading. Their recent form has been mixed, having seen two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five games.
They come into this game off the back of a 1-2 away win against Doncaster Rovers, with Sam Hoskins winning the game via a 67th-minute penalty.
The two sides faced each other on Boxing Day last season, with Reading claiming a 4-1 win at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, before playing out a 0-0 draw at Sixfields in April.
The boss
Kevin Nolan: Nolan was appointed Northampton manager in December last year, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Cobblers. He replaced Jon Brady, who resigned from his post after three and a half years in charge.
Former midfielder Nolan had a 19-year career as a player, representing Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham United. He joined Leyton Orient in January 2016, signing as a player/manager, but was sacked less than three months later.
He went on to join Notts County as manager in January 2017 and guided the side to safety in League Two in his first season. Nolan led County to a fifth-placed finish in his first full season but was sacked in August 2018.
In 2020 he went on to join David Moyes’ coaching team at West Ham, where he stayed until his departure in May last year. The 43-year-old had a spell as assistant head coach of the England under-20 team before taking over the reigns at Northampton.
He guided Northampton to a 19th-placed finish in the league in his first season in charge and has won 14 of his 40 games in charge of the Cobblers so far, giving him a win percentage of 35%. Nolan likes his side to play intense, high-energy football.
Squad
It was a busy summer in Northampton as Nolan rebuilt his squad with the signings of 16 players.
12 players joined on permanent deals, including goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons and defenders Jack Burroughs, Joe Wormleighton and Conor McCarthy.
Six midfielders also joined on permanent contracts, with the Cobblers adding Jack Perkins, Kamarai Swyer, Michael Jacobs, Dean Campbell, Kyle Edwards and former Reading loanee Tyrese Fornah to their ranks. Forwards Elliott List and Jack Vale arrived joined on free transfers.
Loan signings included defenders Jordan Thorniley (Oxford United) and Michael Forbes (West Ham), midfielder Terry Taylor (Charlton Athletic) and forward Ethan Wheatley (Manchester United).
Defenders Conor McCarthy and Jon Guthrie, midfielder Liam Shaw and forward Ethan Wheatley are all fitness doubts for Tuesday’s game.
Predicted lineup
Fitzsimons, Willis, Thorniley, Forbes, Hoskins, Taylor, Campbell, Guinness-Walker, Swyer, Fornah, Wheatley
Key player
7. Sam Hoskins: Versatile Hoskins has been at Northampton for 10 years, having signed for the club in August 2015, joining on a free transfer following the end of his contract at Yeovil Town.
He started his career in the youth setup at Southampton, however he only made three first-team appearances for the club, but did spend time on loan at Preston North End, Rotherham United and Stevenage. He joined Yeovil on a permanent deal in 2013 and spent two seasons with the Glovers, but he struggled to become a first-team starter.
He has gained club legend status since joining Northampton in 2015, making 432 appearances for the Cobblers, scoring 103 goals. He has also picked up a League Two player of the season award, while also securing a place in the League Two team of the year in 2023 when the Cobblers secured promotion back to the third tier.
Hoskins is a versatile forward who can play as a striker, number 10 or winger.
One to watch
4. Dean Campbell: Midfielder Campbell joined Northampton this summer on a free transfer, following the end of his contract at Barrow.
He started his career in the youth setup at Aberdeen and made his debut for the Dons in 2017 at the age of 16. He went on to make 75 appearances for Aberdeen while also spending time on loan at Kilmarnock and Stevenage.
Campbell moved south of the border in 2023, signing for Barrow, ending a 14-year spell at his first club. He made 86 appearances over the course of two seasons while with the Bluebirds, scoring five goals.
The Scotsman has represented his country at under-15, under-17 and under-19 level and has 13 youth caps to his name. The 24-year-old is a defensive, ball-playing midfielder who likes to get stuck in.
