Cobblers performance '˜good enough to beat anyone', says boss Page

Cobblers boss Rob Page felt his side's dominant performance against Shrewsbury Town in Saturday's 4-2 victory would have been good enough to '˜beat any other team' in Sky Bet league One.
TOO GOOD: Sam Hoskins celebrates after firing Cobblers into a 3-1 lead at Shrewsbury. Pictures by Kirsty EdmondsTOO GOOD: Sam Hoskins celebrates after firing Cobblers into a 3-1 lead at Shrewsbury. Pictures by Kirsty Edmonds
TOO GOOD: Sam Hoskins celebrates after firing Cobblers into a 3-1 lead at Shrewsbury. Pictures by Kirsty Edmonds

Up against the division’s bottom club, Northampton always looked a cut above at Greenhous Meadow with goals from Gabriel Zakuani and Paul Anderson putting them into an early 2-0 lead.

A penalty from ex-Cobbler Ivan Toney reduced the deficit before half-time but Sam Hoskins put breathing space between the sides with an excellent finish while a late fourth added the gloss to a fine day out.

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Page said afterwards: “I think you could have put any team in our division against us today and we’d have come out as winners.

“Irrespective of who we played against, that level of performance is something we’ve not had for a couple of weeks so it was pleasing to get it back.”

The three points were a relief for Page following back-to-back defeats, including Tuesday’s drubbing at the hands of Peterborough United

He added: “We felt for the supporters on Tuesday and that might go a little way to thank them for the support because it’s been a difficult few weeks.

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“But every team goes through those period and to bounce back in the manner we did today is credit to the lads and I’m really proud of them.

“I thought JJ Hooper was outstanding as was Sam Hoskins whose been great in recent weeks and thoroughly deserved his goal.

“We were a threat from set-piece but overall, as a team performance and from general play as well, even at 2-0 we could have gone on and if we had taken our chances it’d have been more.

“It was important to get Tuesday out of our system. We knew our full-backs would get space against their diamond and you cant ask for better full-backs in Brendan Moloney and David Buchanan.

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“We capitalised on that and we knew we had to be disciplined in the middle of the park up against their narrow formation and I thought the shape work, so I’m really pleased and it’s been a good day at the office.”

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