Midfielder Sowerby just getting started as he relishes Cobblers playing return

The former Fleetwood schemer has endured a frustrating few months.

First he was ruled out through injury at the back end of last season and had to watch on from the sidelines as Town were relegated from Sky Bet League One.

He reported back for pre-season in good shape, only to then suffer a dislocated shoulder, and then contract Covid-19.

It meant he didn’t appear for the Cobblers until the Papa John’s Trophy clash at Forest Green Rovers on August 31.

It was then a further couple of weeks before he was deemed fit enough to start a league game, but he made an immediate impact as Town win 1-0 at Newport County last week.

He followed that up with another start in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Swindon Town, and the 26-year-old is keeping everything crossed he can steer clear of any more injuries or illness.

“It has been a tough start for me,” admitted Sowerby.

“I was back and fit in pre-season, and then did my shoulder. But I have been back a couple of weeks now, and have had to wait for my time, and luckily the gaffer has given me a chance in the past couple of games.

“I am not up to full fitness yet, and I have not trained that much, so I think he is still looking after me a bit.

“But playing the two games in one week is going to help me massively, and hopefully, come Saturday I should be right at the top.”

Town travel to a Salford side who have struggled for form in the opening weeks of the season, whereas things have gone pretty well for the Cobblers.

And Sowerby sees no reason why that can’t continue at The Peninsula Stadium.

“It has been a good start for us, but we believe we are a good group and can beat anybody on our day,” he said.

“We will now go to Salford and look to get all three points.”

Sowerby’s return has added to the competition for central midfield places in the Town ranks, and he and Shaun McWilliams were impressive against Swindon.

That meant early-season starters Paul Lewis and Jordan Flores were left sitting on the bench, while Scott Pollock didn’t even make the matchday 18.

And Sowerby admits the high quality around him ensures everybody is constantly kept on their toes.

“There are a lot of good players in this squad, and we all have to keep working hard in training, and keep pushing each other on,” he said.

“Everybody knows that they are not going to get their chance just given to them, they have got work hard for it, and that is good.”

Having joined the club in September, 2020, last weekend was also the first time Sowerby had experienced a big crowd at Sixfields.

And he loved it.

“It was magnificent,” he beamed. “That is the busiest I have seen this place since I have been here.

“To play in front of that crowd was great, and you could see what it meant to them at the end when we scored the goal. They carried us through.”