'It's not just about survival' for Cobblers in League One this season

Sam Hoskins insists ‘it’s not just about survival’ for the Cobblers in League One this season after they made it back-to-back wins against Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

Northampton have a poor record whenever they have been in League One this century, often relegated within two years of promotion, but there’s optimism that things will be different this time around.

They currently sit 13th with seven points from five games, but it’s their performances that have offered real encouragement, including Saturday’s against Cheltenham when they dominated most of the contest.

"I think we played really well again, especially in the first half,” said Hoskins. “We played some good stuff and we were only lacking a goal to be honest.

"We were limited to only a few clear-cut chances, which says a lot about their defence, and they had a 10 or 15 minute spell in the second half where we needed to dig in and defend under pressure but we defend well and to go and get a late goal, it shows the character of the lads again.

"For us, it's not just about survival this season. We feel we have the group to push on and see where we can go with it, but we're not going to get ahead of ourselves because we're just enjoying the way we're playing and the results we're getting and we want to continue that."

Hoskins admits this team is very different from the many he’s played in during his eight years at the club.

"It's always enjoyable when the team is playing well and we're creating a lot of chances, and my aim is to always score goals and create goals in every game,” he added. “To come away with three points again is brilliant.

"In the time I've been here, it's rare that we've had the lion's share of possession for most games but it's nice to be in control of the ball more. It's just about trying to break teams down and that'll come more as the season goes on. It's definitely enjoyable playing in this team.”