Cobblers will 'throw everything at it' in bid to reach Wembley

Cobblers are prepared to ‘throw everything at it’ as they bid to reach Wembley and move within one game of winning promotion back to League One.

Northampton start tonight’s play-off semi-final second leg trailing 2-1 to Mansfield Town but can take confidence and momentum from the way they finished the first leg on Saturday.

Cobblers cut the deficit to one goal in a dominant second-half performance at Field Mill, and they will look to pick up from where they left off at Sixfields this evening.

"We finished the game strongly and I felt we gained a lot of confidence and belief from the second-half and we need to take that into the start of the second leg,” said manager Jon Brady.

"We didn't have the best start but the second-half was more how we have played all season. They will obviously try to stop us and nullify us but it's who performs best on the day and if we can have 11 players on top of their game, we know we can get the result we desire.

"Nigel Clough is very experienced and I have the utmost respect for him and his team and we need to be ready for them.

"They are a good side and have done very well to reach this stage but we have to make sure we are ready ourselves, first and foremost, and that's the most important thing.”

Cobblers must score tonight if they are to have any chance of reaching Wembley, but they must guard against going to gung-ho too early.

"We will throw everything at it and empty the tank and the players will be ready,” Brady added. “We are one goal down but we have 90 minutes.

"If we can get the momentum in the first quarter of the game and keep that momentum, I feel we can penetrate them and we can create opportunities and score goals.

"If we score one goal, we are level in the tie. It's already game on but if we can get that one, then they are on the back foot and the mentality shifts and changes."