FEATURE: Loan man Charlie’s enjoying the Goode life at the Cobblers

A deadline day loan signing from Sky Bet League One side Scunthorpe United last month, the 23-year-old has rapidly cemented his position as a key cog in Town’s defensive unit.

The horror show of his debut aside, when Colchester United romped to a 4-0 win on a grim afternoon at the PTS, Goode has been part of a much-improved Town side, who made it four matches unbeaten with Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 win at Stevenage.

He says he is enjoying his time with the Cobblers, but the Watford-born stopper has a year remaining on his contract at Glanford Park.

He admits he is unsure where his future lies after going through what he describes as ‘a strange situation’ with the Iron.

Goode was a regular in the Scunthorpe team until a 2-0 win at Peterborough United on New Year’s Day, but was then cut out of the first team picture by boss Stuart McCall, and that resulted in him joining Town on loan on January 31.

“My contract is not up at the end of this season, I have another year at Scunthorpe.” said Goode. “So we will have to wait and see what happens in the summer, and only time will tell.

“Football changes very quickly, and it was a strange situation at Scunthorpe, having played so much already.

“But as a young enough player I want to play, and that was the main thing for me.”

Asked to explain what happened to him at Scunthorpe, where Goode had made 25 first-team apperances by the turn of the year before finding himself sidelined, the player said: “It is hard to say what happened, and the fact is that timing in football sometimes is a bit of a killer.

“We brought in a few players in my position, and then I picked up a little niggle at a bad time.

“It then worked out that I was missing out on playing, and I am the type who doesn’t want to do that, because as long as I am playing then I am happy.”

And he is certainly happy at the moment, although he admitted the stress and strain of making a deadline day move is not something he will want to do again in a hurry!

“It was my first experience of a transfer on deadline day, and it was a weird one that I will try not to go through again if I can help it,” admitted Goode.

“But when Keith Curle called me we got on really well, and hopefully I am repaying him now and showing why he brought me here.”

Goode started out his Town career in central defence, but has moved to right-back for the past couple of games and has settled smoothly into the position.

He says he ‘doesn’t have a problem’ with doing that, and admits ‘wherever I am told to play I will do a job there’.

Goode seems to have struck up an instant rapport with fellow defenders Ash Taylor, Aaron Pierre and David Buchanan, as well as goalkeeper David Cornell, and feels things have really clicked at the back.

“The first result was nowhere near good enough at home, but we have followed it up with some good results and we look very solid at the minute,” said Goode.

“Even at Stevenage at the weekend, we have conceded one goal, but I didn’t really feel we were in any danger throughout the game.

“We certainly weren’t getting cut open like we did in that first game after I came to the club, and as a defender that is what you want.”

The Cobblers return to action this Saturday when they travel to Crewe Alexandra, and Goode is confident the team can pick up another win to see them further close the gap between them and the top half of the league two table.

Crewe are two places above the Cobblers in 14th place, but they are four points better off,

while 12th-placed Swindon have five more points than Town.

It means the top half is in reach, and Goode said: “Hopefully we can pick up another win.

“We sort of closed that gap that was between us and about three or four teams above, so if we can get another win we can start looking up again.”