It's Only The Carling Cup!!!

"He who has never hoped, can never despair" - George Bernard Shaw


Well I wonder who he supported then, because that was obviously intended for football supporters everywhere.


The first game of the league season has passed us by and all hope and optimism shared by supporters nationwide is either blossoming or shattered!!!


We Cobblers went into the first game of the season with every thing to look forward to, and here we are, three days later, with our season in tatters after a drubbing at Torquay!!!


There's been plenty written by more learned fans than me on the whys and wherefores of the performance by the seaside and I am not going to re-visit old ground. I wasn't there, I didn't pick the team, I only suffered in silence like thousands of others. The pain, the pain. The shame, the shame.


I didn't expect this sort of reaction this early into being a supporter, but there you have it. Heartfelt anguish of defeat - what happened boys?


I picked my son up from the train station ahead of the evening Carling Cup match against Brighton.


"Are you looking forward to the game?"


"It's ridiculous, but I'm really excited about it," he replied


This football supporting lark is infectious, cause I can't wait either. I feel like an excited teenager. Get a grip man!!!


(For those of you who have followed previous posts and have previously heard me mention, I apologise, but I was at the Royal Albert Hall last weekend watching the BBC proms, in particular the concert on the Saturday evening by the National Youth Orchestra. I can report that the concert was amazing, conductor extraordinaire and music enchanting! (BBC 2, August 21st 7.30 ish).


Tuesday 10th August - Cobblers v Brighton & Hove Albion (Carling Cup 1st Round).


So it's off to Sixfields once more for the evening match in the first round of the Carling Cup. There has been plenty of opinion shared on the Northampton Town Fan Forums, (try out the "Hotel End" and "Sixfields Boys" a good way to pass a few moments of time keeping up with the gossip). (For legal reasons and I don't want to appear bias towards other Forums that I have not mentioned, other forums are available, local call charges may or not apply and share prices can go up or down, and the opinions expressed within these pages and others on the Internet are only opinions of those expressing them!!)


Some say that the cup result doesn't matter and it's the league we want to concentrate on. As a football fan I want to win every game even though I know that's not possible, I couldn't care what competition is being played, I want my team to perform well and progress as far as possible. It's nice to think we are big enough to concentrate on the league only and bed in the youngsters as seems to be the general trend these days, but we need a cup run for good gate receipts, we play our youngsters 'cause they are good enough to play, and we don't have the luxury of one side for the league and one for the cup. Bring on the Seagulls!!!


I'm nervous before the game. I think it's caused by the fear of losing again. Brighton are a league higher than us and won on Saturday. Having seen a lot of promise pre-season and hearing that the team did not play that well at Torquay, I am nervous 'cause I want them to play with a passion they showed pre-season.


The first ten minutes were not great for the Cobblers. Our on loan goalkeeper had a few issues keeping the ball between the two white lines running either side of the pitch and we were giving the ball away with a consummate ease that had not been obvious in previous matches.


Suddenly, it was all a distant memory - courtesy of a determined run into the box by our own boy wonder, Michael Jacobs. His shot seemed to go through the goalkeeper and Cobblers led 1-0


It's interesting to see what a goal can do for confidence, as a different team patrolled the green pastures of Sixfields from that moment on. Heads held higher, chests expanded with the fresh air of confidence, the Cobblers played like a team.


We only had to wait a few more minutes before an excellent cross by Gilligan, (had a good first 45 minutes up and down the right flank), was expertly dispatched with his head, by Billy McKay, into the corner of the net. Cobblers 2 Brighton 0. Oh, how we cheered!


Brighton were rocked!


Now managed by Gus Poyet, (player -Uruguay, Chelsea, Tottenham, Swindon!! Coach - Swindon, Leeds, Tottenham), you would have expected his new charges to play the game with a bit of panache. (I don't think Swindon have played with much panache since Don Rogers ploughed through the mud at wembley to score two extra time goals against Arsenal in the 1969 League Cup Final, (now the Carling Cup for you young 'uns),that Swindon won 3-1) No chance.


"You can take the man out of Leeds, but you can't take Leeds out of the man."


Couple the "Leeds" factor into a South American temperament and you get tonight's Brighton team.

Yellow cards were shown. Straight red for Matt Sparrow - he got what he deserved - you can't raise your arms into an opponents face these days without facing the walk!

Enraged Uruguayan remonstrating with anyone that would listen - West Stand let him know what they think. Uruguayan sits down.

Brighton player has a go in another on field bout. Uruguayan manager seen rollicking young player and probably pointing out to him that "it's not yet half time, we're already down to ten men and Matt Sparrow won't eat all the oranges before you get there!!!"

Half time - Cobblers 2 Brighton 0

I didn't expect much of a spectacle in the second half. Brighton had lost the plot for this match and they would come out huffing and puffing their way through the second half with aggression thrown in to try and bully their way back.

Thank the Lord our boys didn't get involved. We continued to play some decent football. Michael Jacobs continued to taunt the newly introduced Alan Navarro and it was during one of these "Skinning's" that the unfortunate Navarro was left lying in agony from a quick turn and saw him departing sadly on a stretcher. It's not great to see any footballer leave the field in this manner and we wish him a speedy recovery.

We were unable to trouble the scoreboard during the second half - amazing really as we dominated for most of the second period. Yeh, Brighton rallied for spells but they never really threatened to score.

A lot of positives for the Cobblers' tonight. We showed that we can play football. Jacobs is a great prospect. Billy McKay looked dangerous every time he got the ball.

For me on the evening I was very impressed with Nathaniel Wedderburn. This was his full debut for the Cobblers and has impressed during the pre-season. I believe he will grow into his role on the pitch and he quietly goes around doing an efficient and effective job of sticking his foot in a breaking up the play. There was also some good distribution around the park with a sweet left peg. I look forward to watching him over the season, he's only eighteen and shows maturity beyond his years. Give the lad a chance and help him believe.

Someone behind me encouraged Sammo to give us a smile. Sammo's response was to bellow instructions to one of his players. "That told me then," came the response. No smile.

Gus Poyet still looks as fit as a Butcher's dog! He could probably still do a decent job on the pitch if it wasn't for the knees. It's nice to know that some manager's enjoy the banter with the crowd, as a quick piece of ball control on the sidelines was greeted with cheers from the home supporters. Poyet turned and blew kisses to the crowd in appreciation!! Nice touch well received by the fans.

We're in the next round of the Carling Cup! - Along with at least 2,000 other supporters I left with hope. It's only a matter of time I suppose before despair rears it's ugly head once more. However, I take hope from the fact that on the opening day of the 2009/10 season, Norwich City lost 7-1 at home to Colchester. Norwich picked themselves up and finished champions of Division 1. Now that's hope!

I shall be missing from the next few home games due to holidays. I return, God willing, for the match against Southend on September the 11th - That's a whole month without a fix. I don't think I can last that long!

I would like to think I return to watch the league leaders!

"Come on Cobblers, Come On!"