'Our fans don't deserve that' - Brady 'hurt' by defeat to Stevenage and demands reaction from Cobblers

Manager Jon Brady admits Cobblers fans ‘do not deserve’ the type of performance that his team served up on Boxing day when they were outplayed and thoroughly beaten 3-0 by Stevenage.

Town were non-existent as an attacking entity at the Lamex Stadium – their only two shots in the whole game came in the last 15 minutes – and made errors in defence to gift Stevenage numerous chances, three of which led to goals.

Cobblers have still enjoyed an excellent first half of the season and sit a very respectable 11th in League One after 23 games, but that does not give them a free pass to deliver such a disappointing performance.

Brady said: "We don't see it back and go 'oh brilliant, we're 11th, we're doing great'. We're well above the curve for where we should be but we don't want to rest on that. Obviously you would have taken this position at the start of the season but I don't like days like that against Stevenage, nobody does, and the players are deeply annoyed with themselves.

"We don't want to deliver performances like that for our fans, no way, they don't deserve that, but it's not as if we set out to play like that. You do have off days and we just have to bounce back.

"Individually and collectively, we weren't good and that really hurts but give Stevenage credit, they are one hell of a team and they've recruited excellently and done really well to be in that position so hats off to them.

“It’s a quick turnaround and we have an opportunity to bounce back quickly on Friday. We'll set ourselves up to attack the game like we always do and we'll try and put it right.”

It all went wrong from the second minute at Stevenage when Jon Guthrie and Sam Sherring got in each other’s way, presenting the opening goal on a plate for Jamie Reid.

Brady added: "I actually thought in the first few minutes that we started quite well and we were competing but then we gave away that first goal and we had to make tweaks and change shape.

"The goal rocked us but we shouldn't allow those moments to do that. We've fought back a lot of times this season but unfortunately it's very hard to come back at a place like Stevenage because they suffocate the life out of you and they did that to us.

"I feel sorry for our fans because, for whatever reason, it wasn't a good performance by any means. I'll have to watch it back because it's not anywhere near the standard we expect of ourselves.”