'Cobblers do not need a new striker'
Giles Coke believes the Cobblers do not need to buy a new striker despite the team firing their second blank in successive games at the weekend.
Town were held 0-0 by Millwall at Sixfields as they failed to score for the second Saturday running.
A patched-up Adebayo Akinfenwa led the line on his own with Colin Larkin and Leon Constantine both failing pre-match fitness tests.
So short was manager Stuart Gray of centre-forwards that 17-year-old youth-teamer Joe Benjamin was given his debut as a late substitute.
The club have been continually linked with a loan move for a striker, with Ipswich starlet Jordan Rhodes hotly tipped to make the switch from Portman Road before the loan deadline passes next month.
But Coke feels the quality is already within the squad, and highlighted Akinfenwa's willingess to play through injury as an example of the spirit among the players.
"You could say maybe we need a striker," said Coke. "We all know B (Akinfenwa) is not 100 per cent fit but he's doing brilliantly for us and he's coping with playing.
"Maybe we need to get someone in and it's down to the manager but we've got a good squad here. We've got some good players and I'm confident we'll get it right."
Manager Stuart Gray's options in the market for a striker were broadened by the 200,000 sale of Gabor Gyepes to Cardiff City last week.
Some of that could be channeled into a transfer kitty for a new front man.
But on Saturday, the man in charge felt it wasn't a case of the personnel in the team not being up to scratch, just that they were not bright enough in the box.
"You're as good as your forwards," said Gray. "We changed our shape slightly and went to 4-3-3 but we didn't have enough anticaption.
"If we'd been a bit brighter in our brains we might have got a goal.
"There were balls going across the six-yard box and they are goalscoring opportunities but we've got too many on their heels and not attacking those balls in.
"We'll probably have Colin Larkin back for the Bolton game but Leon Constantine will be missing.
"With Akinfenwa I
just had to get him out there.
"Typical Bayo, he wanted to play and he's ended up with more stitches today."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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