Brady went against medical advice to start Hoskins against Birmingham City

Hoskins’ name on the team sheet at St Andrews came as a surprise given Brady’s previous comments that seemed to suggest he was not particularly close to returning from a knee injury.

However, after Sowerby withdrew due to illness just hours before kick-off, Brady asked Hoskins to start against Birmingham and the long-serving forward did not hesitate. He needed treatment from the physio in the first half but stayed on for 70 minutes, at which point he wearily made way for Neo Dobson.

"Sam deserves a special mention because he’s been out with a knee issue,” said Brady. “He’s had some certain things done to try and reduce the pain in his knee. We were going to set up slightly different but with Jack pulling out, I spoke to Sam in the hotel in the morning.

"I didn’t travel up because I was unwell and I didn’t want to get on the coach and infect anyone else but I spoke to Sam and asked if he could do the nine role. It was against medical advice but I needed him to play and he went ‘yes, I want to play’. There was never any doubt from him.

"He ended up playing 65, 70 minutes and we had to ask him to push beyond where he needed to go but this is the group we’ve got and we have players who are willing to put themselves on the line. As a manager, you can’t ask for anything more.”

Cobblers finished the game with Will Hondermarck at right wing-back, Akin Odimayo at centre-back and a forward line of 17-year-old rookie Neo Dobson and 34-year-old Martyn Waghorn, who had played just 40 minutes of football across the previous six months.

Brady added: "It's just incredible what that group of players have done out there. Who'd have thought Will Hondermarck would be playing right wing-back but as always with us we have to find a way.

"The beauty of the players within our group is that they are flexible and adaptable and they are used to playing in positions that they're unfamiliar with.

"AK had to go to centre-back from right-back and I thought he did brilliantly and two weeks ago TJ (Eyoma) was sitting on the sofa watching results come in and now he's out there doing that and playing in front of 30,000 and helping us get a draw. Waggy's the same."