Brady explains why he's confident Cobblers 'will be back to our best' against Hartlepool

Manager Jon Brady is fully expecting Cobblers to be ‘back to our best’ after learning some harsh lessons in their most recent defeat to Bristol Rovers.

Town’s faltering form of two wins in seven games has allowed their promotion-chasing rivals to close the gap in what is now an extremely congested League Two table. Just three points separates the Cobblers in third from ninth-placed Port Vale.

Some fans are also frustrated with Town’s recent performances and in particular their style of play, with Rovers boss Joey Barton likening them to a ‘glorified rugby team’ after Saturday’s game.

Brady said: “We always want to have it our own way and play free-flowing football but when you have an opposition team that comes for a fight and to disrupt the game, it becomes difficult.

“I think we need to find another way at times with a scenario like last Saturday and we have to be calmer so we can play our way.

“That’s the most important thing - to not get caught up in the moment and come away from playing the way we want to play.

“I feel, through this week and through the lessons we learned on Saturday, we will be stronger for it.”

Brady is not helped by a lengthening injury list.

Shaun McWilliams is out for the season, Ali Koiki faces at least three weeks on the sidelines and on Saturday Tyler Magloire dislocated his shoulder.

Magloire, a defender by trade, was playing in central midfield at the time with Brady searching for new solutions in absence of some key players.

He added: “Obviously you don’t want to try too many new things at this stage of the season but it’s about finding the best combinations that gets the best out of your players and your team, defensively and offensively.

“We deal with the players on a day-to-day basis and we know what they can do. We are still in a strong position with eight games to go and mostly I feel we have got it right throughout the season to be where we are.

“A lot of teams, and a lot of bigger clubs, have struggled this season. When we haven’t had our best games, we have bounced back pretty quickly.

“I thought the effort was immense from our players on Saturday but it’s just the ability to make better decisions on the ball at times and that’s for our players to do in the moment.

“We know what we can do but sometimes you can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the game and I felt we did on Saturday, but we will back to our best this weekend, that’s for sure.”