Appere feels so welcomed at Cobblers

Louis Appere relished the physical battle of League Two football after experiencing it for the first time at Walsall on Saturday.

The Cobblers debutant was thrown in from the off at the Bescot Stadium and played the full 90 minutes five days after joining the club on deadline day.

It was a slog of a game played on a difficult pitch in tricky conditions but Appere scored the only goal and did not shirk the physical challenge.

"It was a real battle and that's something I noticed just watching the game in midweek," said the 22-year-old.

"Obviously I wasn't able to play against Barrow but I was there at the game and you don't get many free-kicks for much down here, not compared to up in Scotland anyway!

"It's definitely physical but I'm willing to embrace that and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"It's a big part of my game but I want to get the ball down and play as well.

"That's something the manager was saying - we weren't able to do it too much on Saturday. But it doesn't always go that way in football and sometimes you have to embrace the battle and we did that and we were strong as a team.

"I was also able to get through the 90 minutes and that's something I pride myself on - my running and my hard work. I feel fit and good to go."

It was a big change in Appere's life to move from Dundee United to Northampton, but he seems to have settled quickly.

"It's been great so far," he added. "Everyone has been so welcoming, from the staff through to the players.

"We seem to have a great group of lads here and I just can't wait to keep going now."

And his goal on Saturday was crucial in lifting the Cobblers up a place to fourth and keeping them very much in the League Two promotion picture.

He continued: "That's what the manager and the assistant made clear when I joined - we're aiming for promotion. Hopefully I can do my best to help achieve that.

"I think this squad is capable of doing it. You can tell from training that there's a lot of ability and hopefully I can contribute and help us achieve success."