'Unreal' play-off comeback at Cheltenham was a career highlight for McCormack

Alan McCormack was in fine form during Town's comeback at Cheltenham.

Cobblers' 'unreal' play-off comeback against Cheltenham Town was 'one of the best games' Alan McCormack has ever been involved in.

Town looked down and out after losing the first leg 2-0 at the PTS but they hit back in rip-roaring style, winning the second leg 3-0 at Whaddon Road.

Vadaine Oliver scored early on before Callum Morton bagged a second-half brace, and Cobblers continued that form by thrashing Exeter City in the final a week later.

McCormack, released by Keith Curle last month, was integral to both wins and says the comeback at Cheltenham will go down as a career highlight.

"The play-offs were a little bit strange with no fans, especially in the lead up to the games when you normally have fans outside the ground and the atmosphere is building," said the 36-year-old.

"It was very different for the play-offs. We had a very long build-up to the games and it was almost relief when they actually came around because we had three weeks of training - and I don't think that long wait did us any favours.

"We knew we would be in the play-offs for quite a while and we had a long time building up to the first leg and I think that's probably what caught us out.

"It was strange but we came in after the dressing room after the home game and we said to each other 'boys, this is not over' and we were confident we could win the second leg.

"We had better chances in the first game and we knew if we played our way and took our chances, we'd get right back in the game."

McCormack has played for nine different clubs during his 17-year pro career but Town's fightback at Whaddon Road ranks alongside anything else he's achieved.

"The second leg was probably one of the best games I've been involved in for many, many years, maybe the best," he added. "If I look back on my best memories in football, that will be right up there.

"It was just unreal. I travelled down with Charlie (Goode) and we just knew going into it. The positivity was unreal and the confidence was superb. We felt if we could score in the first 10 minutes or so, they would struggle.

"We got on the front foot, Vadaine came up with the goods and that set the tempo and there was no looking back from then on. It was a great, great night, especially as we then followed it up in the final."