Northampton

Northampton

Northampton sit in a division where momentum swings sharply. Their last two outings tell the story of a team capable of both explosive attacking football and stubborn defensive solidity.

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A 4-2 victory over Solihull Moors showed Northampton at their most dangerous. Four goals in a single match represents genuine attacking threat - the kind of output that wins games at this level. Yet that performance came sandwiched either side of a goalless draw at Cambridge United, a result that suggests they can be frustratingly blunt in front of goal when the chances don't fall so readily.

The contrast matters. Against Solihull they were clinical and dominant. At Cambridge, they created little or nothing. That inconsistency - the gap between a 4-2 win and a 0-0 stalemate - is the central question hanging over their season. Teams that can score four one week but none the next rarely sustain a push up the table.

Defensively, they conceded twice to Solihull but held firm at Cambridge. Neither performance suggests a backline in freefall, though the four goals shipped to Solihull indicates they can be opened up. The draw, meanwhile, points to a side capable of grinding out results when attacking options dry up.

Northampton have the tools to compete. Whether they can harness them consistently remains the puzzle.