Sherring relishing his dual role as Cobblers' ball-playing centre-back

In the modern game, centre-backs are expected to contribute as much in possession as out of it, even in the third tier of English football.

For the Cobblers, responsibility largely rests on Sam Sherring to receive goal-kicks and start attacks from deep.

"League One is probably more of a ball-playing league compared to League Two,” said the 23-year-old. “It's more about keeping possession and the ball's also in play for longer, especially with the new rules, and I think that suits us as a team.

"We're playing a bit more possession-based football, which suits me as a player because I like to have the ball at my feet and make passes and obviously we have Leno and other players who are good on the ball in our team.

"We've done quite well so far. There's a lot to learn and a lot to improve on and you have to mix it up as well because we've got threats up front and we can stretch it with balls behind.

"We have different threats and it's definitely something I'm enjoying it so far.”

Only Marc Leonard averages more touches and more passes per game this season than Sherring, whose job it is to draw opposition players out of position and thread passes into midfield.

"We work hard in training on our patterns,” he added. “The gaffer is really good with that in terms of what passes are available and what passes we shouldn't be playing.

"There's a lot of analysis on the opposition so we know where their players will be and where to exploit them. That kind of stuff really helps.

"It's also down to me on the pitch because I can see the whole pitch and the gaffer gives me the license to make the right decision and he gives me that trust, which is something I really appreciate it.”

Playing out from the back does carry risks, as goalkeeper Max Thompson found out when his scuffed pass nearly cost a goal inside the first three minutes against Posh.

"It's all about trusting the process," added Sherring. "That's the main thing because it's process-driven and if you keep doing the things that you think are right, you'll get the outcomes you want.

"It was a bit nervy when that happened against Peterborough but we're a young team and mistakes will happen and we're there to bail each other out.

"I thought we did quite well on Saturday and we've done well in most games this season. We probably mixed it up a bit more on Saturday but it's good to have those different sides to your game.

"I'm comfortable on the ball and also when we go more direct and it's good to have both strings to your bow.”

Ultimately, though, Sherring’s priority is stop goals rather than create them.

"Clean sheets are so important because that gives you a base to build from,” he continued. “The more you have, the better you'll do.

"I've obviously played next to Guths quite a lot but it's been a while with all the injuries so we're still learning and still growing and we feel we're getting stronger every game.

"There's some very good players in this league and there's more quality in both boxes so we definitely have to sharpen up but I think we are and will continue to as we build relationships and our fitness improves.”