Adams has 'no doubt' the Cobblers will win Sky Bet League One survival battle

The 34-year-old left the PTS Academy Stadium just over a week ago to sign an 18-month deal with league two outfit Oldham Athletic, a club very much closer to his family's Greater Manchester home.

The move brought to an end a second successful spell at the Cobblers for Adams, who gained two promotions from league two in his only two full seasons with the club, being a key part of the 2016 title winning team as well as last summer's play-off success.

Adams was club captain in his second stint with Town, and says his final act as a Cobblers player was to reiterate to the squad that they have got what it takes to maintain their league one status over the coming months.

The Cobblers were without a game on Saturday as their scheduled clash with fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic was postponed due to the PTS pitch being waterlogged.

But as they kicked their heels, results elsewhere largely went their way as they remained one place and one point above the relegation zone.

Town also now have games in hand on most of the teams around them in the table, and their fate is very much in their own hands as they head into the second half of the season.

"I said to the lads before I left, I looked at the table and we were above the bottom four, but if you win a couple you can be up to like 12th or 13th," said Adams, who featured in 14 league games for Town this season.

"We are right in the mix, and I think we did well on the whole.

"There were a couple of poor defeats in there, but I think if you look at the one at Oxford we had a lot of injuries and suspensions, and then against Lincoln it wasn't great, but we conceded after a minute and that doesn't help against the team at the top of the league.

"On almost every other occasion I think we were more than a match for everyone, win, lose or draw.

"I told the lads before I left that they have to take that as confidence, because there haven't been many times when we were in the bottom four and any team in and around us we always seemed to get a good result against.

"I have no doubt in my mind that Keith (Curle) and the boys will do it and stay in the division, and then they can kick on from there."

Adams also had words of praise for his ex-boss Curle, and believes the work he has done and the signings he has made in the January transfer window have strengthened the squad.

Town have brought in Lloyd Jones, Ryan Edmondson, Bryn Morris, Peter Kioso and Mickel Miller, while as well as Adams the likes of Harry Smith, Ricky Holmes, Chris Lines, Joe Martin and Joe Nuttall have been moved on.

"League One is as tough a division as it has been for a long time, and the team has done well in a lot of games," said Adams, who has made an instant impact at Oldham, helping the Latics to two wins in his first three matches for the club.

"Keith Curle is doing great, and there has been a lot of turnaround of players again.

"There are a lot of new players at the club, and a lot of young lads who have high hopes for the future as well.

"They have made some good signings in the window and I wish the club all the best.

"To stay in league one is the minimum level the club deserves, and I want it all for them because they are good people."