Guthrie so happy to be back after 'frustrating' wait for league return
Jon Guthrie said it was a ‘great feeling’ to be back on the pitch in a league game again after admitting he has found it 'frustrating’ to wait for his opportunity.
The Cobblers skipper has made a couple of brief appearances in the EFL Trophy since returning from an ACL injury but he’s been in and out of the squad as Kevin Nolan carefully manages his comeback. Finally, on Tuesday, Guthrie was back in the cut and thrust of a League One game when introduced as a 69th-minute substitute against Huddersfield Town.
"It’s a great feeling to be back playing in a league game again,” he said afterwards. “It’s a bit of a step up from the Trophy games in terms of the intensity and the movements but I managed to get through a good amount of minutes and that’s what I need to keep building and building.
"It’s been frustrating because I’ve been itching to play but obviously it’s all part of the process and I’ve had to be patient, but I’m delighted to be back out there again and I thought it was a good point and it was one we had to work hard for.”
Guthrie was not scheduled to play almost 30 minutes but an injury to Jordan Thorniley forced Nolan’s hand, and the 33-year-old came through with no issues.
He added: “They gave me a heads up that I would be coming on because Jordan had felt a bit of tightness so I had a bit of warning and I got myself ready and I was just itching to get on.
"It’s the longest I’ve played so far and I felt good but I just need to keep building game by game, week by week. I’m probably not quite ready to start yet but I feel good and confident and I’m ready when called upon.”
Nesta Guinness-Walker’s brilliant volley gave Cobblers an early lead at Sixfields on Tuesday but a scruffy, error-strewn game ended in stalemate after Leo Castledine’s well-placed header.
Guthrie continued: "We worked really hard for that point and the lads fought well. We started well, Nesta scored a brilliant goal, and then they found their way back into the game.
"But the lads are in a good place at the moment, confidence is high and we’re all working hard for each other and that’s what we’re all about. It’s a good point and now it’s onto a big one at the weekend.”
Cobblers go to rivals Peterborough, now managed by Luke Williams, this weekend with good memories.
"It’s one of the first games we look for when the fixtures come out,” Guthrie added. “We did the double over them last season and we’d love to replicate that again.
"Our fans will be there in the numbers as always and we’re a confident group. The boys have done really well in the last few weeks and we’ll go there with belief that we can get a result.
"You can’t take too much notice of the table, it’s the old cliche of one game at a time, but if we can keep building and pick up a win on Saturday, it would create a nice gap between us and them.”