Cobblers boss Wilder not prepared to risk Richards from start

NO REGRETS - Cobblers boss Chris Wilder (Picture: Kirsty Edmonds)

The Town top-scorer, who has only recently returned to action after undergoing an operation on an Achilles injury, was named on the substitutes’ bench at the weekend.

Richards had to look on as his team-mates struggled badly in the first half against the Sky bet League Two leaders, going 3-0 down inside 41 minutes.

Richards was introduced at half-time along with Ryan Cresswell, and the Cobblers did improve to pull a goal back through Lawson D’Ath, but that was all Town could muster as the game was lost.

Asked if he regretted the decision not to start with his 18-goal top scorer, Wilder said: “You have to go with the medical advice.

“It’s quite easy to get caught up in things and say ‘we can play Marc Richards for 60 or 70 minutes’.

“But the medical advice was that we would be taking a big risk with Marc, even though he is desperate to play.”