Cobblers boss Boothroyd determined to put right ‘irritating’ away form

Town’s Achilles heel throughout the campaign was their inability to win games on their travels.

The Cobblers boasted a formidable record at Sixfields, but managed just four wins away from HQ in the regular season, and Boothroyd admits it’s a situation that ‘irritated’ him.

Things did improve towards the end of the campaign, as Town claimed draws at Wycombe and Port Vale and also snatched an excellent play-off semi-final win at Cheltenham.

But the Cobblers’ old ghosts returned to haunt them at Wembley as they were humbled 3-0 by Bradford City in the play-off final.

As well as the final defeat, Boothroyd knows the team’s away form cost them automatic promotion, and he is aiming to get things right when the new campaign kicks off on August 3.

“We weren’t far away but you’ve got to always be looking to push,” said Boothroyd.

“You have to make sure you have the right depth in certain positions.

“There were games we should’ve done better in and that we should have won, especially away from home.

“If we’d won four games that we’d lost away from home we’d have gone up automatically.

“So that’s something I’ve got to look at.

“I am very analytical. We weren’t far away but we were far enough away that it has irritated me.”