Cobblers trio receive special praise from Brady after 'massive effort' in Colchester win

Sam Hoskins and Shaun McWilliams were among those to receive special praise from manager Jon Brady after Saturday's victory at Colchester United.

The pair missed most of pre-season through COVID but played the full 90 minutes against Coventry City and Colchester United, starring in both games.

Hoskins created the only goal in Essex whilst McWilliams was tireless in midfield as Cobblers made it three wins from three games. Goalkeeper Liam Roberts also played a key role against Colchester, making two crucial second-half saves.

"To hang on like that and do what we did, everyone needed to come to the table and everyone did," said Brady. "Nicke Kabamba was out on his feet but he kept going and I think the biggest thing for us is that we've had 24 hours less to recover with some players that have come back from COVID and played two 90 minutes in a row.

"It was a massive effort. If you look back when their player went through one-on-one, you'll see that Shaun is probably 15 metres behind the ball when they first turn over possession.

"But he tracks all the way back and stops their player from squaring the ball to his team-mate for what would have been a tap-in and instead he forces the shot and Liam stands up and makes the save.

"He works tirelessly and he deserves special credit, and so does Sammy. To play two 90 minutes after where they've been, it was a massive effort.

"You could see how Sammy was struggling in the first 15 minutes on Wednesday night but he had to get through that so it's testament to both of them - brilliant.

"I've also got to pay a special mention to Liam Roberts because I thought he was exceptional - he came to the fore when we needed him and that's what you want from your goalkeeper."