Boss Hasselbaink: Magnificent Cobblers deserved their point against Rovers

Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believed his 'magnificent players' were full value for their point after they held title-chasing Blackburn Rovers to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Dec 2017, 17:04 BST
Updated 23rd Dec 2017, 17:15 BST
SO CLOSE: Cobblers almost pulled off a shock by beating in-form Blackburn on Saturday. Picture by Sharon LuceySO CLOSE: Cobblers almost pulled off a shock by beating in-form Blackburn on Saturday. Picture by Sharon Lucey
SO CLOSE: Cobblers almost pulled off a shock by beating in-form Blackburn on Saturday. Picture by Sharon Lucey

Rovers came into the game on a six-match winning run and within five points of leaders Wigan but they had Bradley Dack's second-half goal to thank for coming away from Sixfields with a point.

Earlier, Sam Foley's close-range finish put Northampton into a half-time lead that they had warranted for their play, but Dack equalised straight after the restart and it remained 1-1 until full-time despite plenty of further action at both ends.

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"If you told me before the game that we'd get a point, I would I have taken that, especially after their run as they've won six in a row," said Hasselbaink afterwards.

"But then you saw how we played. In the first-half we didn't create much but we were on top and at the start of the second-half we created a good chance that you need to score.

"OK, they had the penalty and the goal but I think those two incidents were avoidable and I must say that my players were absolutely magnificent today with the work and commitment.

"We played really good side today and the players didn't look out of place.

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"You can't look at the league where teams are, you have to take it game by game and make sure that you are in every game and give yourself an opportunity to be able to have a chance to win the game.

"Today we had a chance to win and the boy took their goal really well but I'm really happy with the boys and with the performance.

"It not easy and we had to dig in at times but we did that and it wasn't easy for Blackburn today."

Home fans inside Sixfields were put through the ringer in the closing stages as Craig Conway missed two good chances before goalkeeper David Cornell kept out Marcus Antonsson's spot-kick six minutes from full-time.

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Hasselbaink added: "I can't tell you if it was a penalty and I don't want to go into it because there were certain things we didn't get and they did but I don't want to talk too much about the referee.

"It's all about my players today and how they grinded out the result.

"David's pretty good from 12 yards and he played well. It would have been a bitter pill to take if that went in."

Related topics:Blackburn RoversNorthamptonWiganSixfields