Brady has 'pinned up screenshots' from pundits who predicted Cobblers to struggle in League One

Jon Brady has revealed a major source of motivation for the Cobblers this season – the many pundits who wrote them off before a ball had even been kicked.

Following promotion last season, Town were predicted to go straight back down to the fourth tier by the vast majority of League One observers at the start of the campaign, while most bookmakers had them first or second favourites for relegation.

However, Brady’s team have significantly surpassed those expectations and are well on track to secure their survival long before the season ends. They are currently 12th and already have 49 points with 11 games still remaining, some 15 points clear of trouble.

"Only when we are mathematically safe can we say we have done our job,” said Brady. “Until then our job is to keep working and keep driving and even once we are safe, we will keep working to push and finish the season strong.

"Everyone tipped us to be 24th, 23rd or 22nd before the season started and I've taken a lot of screenshots of what people said about us and I've pinned them up and that's motivated me.

"I don't think many put us out of that bottom four and that's been our motivation all season. Everybody said it. No-one believed in what we could do this season apart from our own fans and our own people.

"They know what's within but people on the outside doubted us and that's brilliant for me because it's been the best motivation."

Cobblers will have to defy expectations again on Tuesday night when they take on rivals Peterborough United, who are gunning for promotion.

Brady added: "Everyone looks forward to this game but they have been brilliant this season. I'm not trying to overplay them and they have a young side but the way they've played this season, hats off to them.

"We won't fear them at all but there's a lot of respect between both sides and I get on well with Darren and Scarfy (Kieran Scarff, assistant manager) but it's a derby and it's a game where we want to deliver a great performance.”