Huddersfield Look to Keep Momentum Going Against Struggling Northampton
So, let’s talk about what’s shaping up to be an interesting League One clash as Huddersfield Town welcome Northampton Town to the Accu Stadium on Monday night. The mood around Huddersfield right now is noticeably positive, and that’s largely because their season seems to have found new life at exactly the right moment. Sitting eighth in the table and just one point off the playoff places, there’s a real sense that momentum is building again.
That feeling has been earned. After going five league matches without a win, Huddersfield finally broke the drought with a solid 3-1 victory over Rotherham United. That result was then backed up in emphatic fashion on Boxing Day, when bottom-of-the-table Port Vale were swept aside 5-0. It was the kind of performance that sends a message, and manager Lee Grant was quick to label it “ruthless.” Perhaps just as important as the goals was the clean sheet, which happened to be their first in the league since September and will have brought some relief given their defensive struggles earlier in the season.
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A lot of the spotlight has fallen on Leo Castledine, and rightly so. The Chelsea loanee has been in outstanding form, scoring twice against Port Vale and taking his tally to seven goals in his last seven league appearances. Huddersfield, in fact, boast the best attacking record in League One with 40 goals from 22 games. The concern, though, remains at the back, as no other side in the top ten has conceded more goals so far.
Northampton, on the other hand, arrive in West Yorkshire looking to steady themselves after a bruising Boxing Day defeat. A 5-1 loss to Burton Albion exposed a catalogue of errors, and manager Kevin Nolan didn’t hide his frustration, even apologising to supporters afterward. Early penalties conceded, defensive mistakes, and an unfortunate own goal summed up a day to forget. Those lapses were described as “schoolboy errors,” but Nolan has insisted his side will respond with a much stronger performance.
Despite their current position of 16th, just three points above the relegation zone, Northampton do have history on their side. They haven’t lost a league game to Huddersfield since 2008, although that record may offer limited comfort given their attacking struggles this season. Only the bottom three teams have scored fewer goals than the Cobblers so far.
In terms of team news, Huddersfield are expected to stick with the same lineup that dismantled Port Vale, with Castledine continuing in midfield and Alfie May partnering Bojan Radulovic up front. Northampton, meanwhile, are likely to make several defensive changes in response to their latest setback.
Given current form and confidence levels, Huddersfield are clearly seen as favourites, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if another controlled home win was delivered as their playoff push gathers pace.
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