Guthrie nearly back to 100 per cent after coming through his first 90 minutes against Peterborough

Cobblers captain Jon Guthrie hopes he’s back to full match fitness after coming through his first 90 minutes of the season against Peterborough United on Saturday.

The 31-year-old defender sustained a significant hamstring injury against Carlisle United back on April 15th and only returned to action when he played in Northampton’s third pre-season friendly against Brackley Town at the end of July.

He started against Stevenage and Wigan in Town’s opening two League One fixtures but was withdrawn before the end of both games and then sat out of the 2-2 draw with Lincoln City as manager Jon Brady carefully managed his return to full fitness. However, he played the full 100 plus minutes in the win over Posh.

"I've come through OK,” said Guthrie. “It was my first 90 which is good to get out of the way. I missed Tuesday's game but that was more of a precaution than anything else because I don't want to overdo it so early in the season.

"We saw last season how we struggled with injuries and the club is working really hard to make sure everyone stays fit, but I felt good. There was a bit of cramp near the end but nothing major so hopefully I can kick-on from here.”

The new timekeeping rules have brought a fresh challenge for managers and players, especially those whose workloads are being managed, with most games now lasting well over 100 minutes.

"We're still getting used to having that extra time at the end of games and with the clock on the scoreboard, you can see exactly how long's left,” Guthrie added.

"The clock always seems to go slowly when you're winning but I thought the lads saw it out against Peterborough really well. We limited them to not too many chances. Obviously they are a threat and they have some very good players at the top of the pitch but I thought we managed it well.

"It's just a great day for everyone because it means a lot to us all and I'm buzzing. Now we move onto the next game and we'll go into that one feeling confident and hopefully we can come away with three points."