Cobblers not giving up on a top three finish

Manager Jon Brady and stand-in captain Fraser Horsfall insist belief remains high in the Cobblers changing room and they are not yet ready to rule out a top three finish this season.

Town had spent much of the season occupying an automatic promotion spot but a recent wobble has dropped them down to fifth and five points off third-placed Port Vale.

A play-off place now needs securing with a cluster of teams hot on their heels heading into the final five games, however that is not the height of Horsfall’s ambitions.

"No, we haven't given up on top three,” said the centre-back. “The lads have set a goal and we still believe we can get automatic promotion.

"Even with a draw on Saturday, we are in the mix and we still feel positive. There are no heads down thinking that's it.

"Every single one of us knows it's still there for us. We might need to win all of our remaining games but we have done it before and we have been on winning streaks this season so we know we have it in us and we will stay positive."

Asked for his view on the chances of going straight up without worrying about the play-offs, Brady said: "I'm glad Fraser's got that belief because we need that belief and if we play that well, on another day, we win the game.

"Why not believe? I'm not going to take that away from the players because that's what we are trying to instil.

"If we can go out there and keep playing like that, on the front foot and trying to win, we will have a chance.”

Horsfall admitted Saturday’s goalless draw with Bradford was an opportunity missed.

"It was one of those days for us,” he added. “I don't know how many shots we ended up having but we need to put those chances away, the lads know that.

"There were three or four things that happened in the second-half where you're thinking 'how hasn't that gone in?' but the positive is that we created those chances."We could come off afterwards having not created those chances with it being a boring 0-0 but it wasn't like that.”