Brady disagrees with Pinnock suggestion after winger stars for Cobblers against Swindon

Cobblers boss Jon Brady has given his full backing to Mitch Pinnock after disagreeing with the suggestion that Town’s creator-in-chief had endured a slow start to the season prior to Saturday’s match-winning performance against Swindon Town.

The 27-year-old was among Northampton’s star performers last season when he registered 12 assists and nine goals and regularly caused havoc for opposition defences with his deadly set-piece delivery.

He neither scored nor assisted in any of Town’s opening six league fixtures this season but his form has picked up since and at Swindon on Saturday he produced his best performance so far, creating Ben Fox’s equaliser before winning the game with his first goal of the campaign two minutes from full-time.

Brady was full of praise for Pinnock afterwards when asked if he had struggled for form this season, saying: "I don't agree with that. I think Mitch has been excellent from the start of the season.

"First and foremost, for a wide man, his work-rate is incredible for the team and then his set-piece delivery is always really good. I think he's top out of the whole league for chances created.

"Last season, he scored nine goals and all of them were world-class goals. Everyone highlights how special his goals were and then they highlight his performances because he hasn't been scoring, but we appreciate everything he does with this team."

Not for the first time this season, Cobblers benefitted from the impact of a substitute on Saturday and this time it was Ben Fox who starred off the bench, following Danny Hylton last weekend.

"It's really good to come from behind and win again,” Brady added. “The players that are coming on for us are really adding to the team and that's really key to try and get a result because if you don't add momentum to the team as a sub, you probably won't get the win.

"The attitude of the players who are left out of the team and then come on, you can't ask much more as a manager.”