Cobblers' sensational first-half at Orient was the best Pinnock has ever experienced

Cobblers’ exhilarating first-half performance at Leyton Orient on Saturday was the best 45 minutes of attacking football that Mitch Pinnock has ever been involved in.

After an even opening 18 minutes at Brisbane Road, Cobblers ran riot in the capital and it was all started by Pinnock when he unleashed a 20-yard thunderbolt into the top corner.

Jon Guthrie added a second and then Josh Eppiah scored twice in seven minutes to give Town a 4-1 lead at the break. Orient did rally in the second-half but the damage had already been done.

"It's definitely the best 45 minutes of attacking play that I have been part of,” said Pinnock. “The movement and the interplay between all of us was unreal. We had everything and we were all on the same page.

"It was great to be a part of it and we could have scored even more so that's really pleasing – hopefully we can take it into the next couple of games.”

Once again, it was Cobblers’ high press that caused so many problems. Orient were intent on playing out from the back but they were constantly harried and hounded into mistakes.

"We knew how they like to play and that they want to play out from the back so we set up in a way that we thought would give us a lot of joy and we won it back high up the pitch so many times,” Pinnock added.

"Because we were so high when we won the ball back back, all of us were in good positions and when we're together, we know we can create chances and score goals.

"I thought it was the best 45 minutes we have produced this season. We made it a bit more exciting by letting them back in it but we responded well. It was a really good performance.”

Pinnock got the ball rolling when he drove forward from Sam Hoskins’ quickly-taken free-kick and blasted into the top corner, although it didn’t go quite as planned.

"The free-kick was something we worked on in training on Friday,” Pinnock revealed. “I said to Hosk to roll it to me and get round me but he's just ran straight over it!

"That killed me a bit so I thought 'I've got to do something here' and luckily I've smashed it into the top corner. I knew it was going in as soon as I hit it.”

Cobblers are now two wins from securing promotion back to League One.

"With six games to go, we set a target for ourselves and we felt we could achieve it and if we did, we would probably get promoted,” continued Pinnock.

"We had it earlier in the season when we won four or five on the spin so there's no reason we can't do it again. If we play like we did today, we will be fine.

"At the moment, it's in our hands but we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. We will just look to the next game.

"Exeter will be tough. We beat them at their place but we know how good they are and they will be up for it just as much as we are."