A battle of two newly-promoted sides awaits supporters at Sixfields Stadium on Tuesday night, when Northampton Town will be looking to avoid three successive defeats in League One as they clash with Leyton Orient.
The Cobblers were punished for a slow start during their visit to Bolton Wanderers on the weekend, whereas Orient earned a respectable point against a high-flying Barnsley side in East London.
Match preview
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Northampton have now suffered back-to-back defeats either side of the October international break after falling to a 2-1 loss at the Toughsheet Community Stadium against Bolton, and it was a typically lazy opening to the match which cost them any points on an afternoon where one player made a significant bit of Town history.
The Cobblers attempted to press Bolton in the early stages and were picked apart in truth, finding themselves two goals behind after just 16 minutes due to strikes from Dion Charles and Randell Williams, and despite Sam Hoskins bagging his sixth of the term in the second period, the visitors went away empty-handed.
Former Yeovil Town man Hoskins netted his 81st goal for Northampton in the loss on Saturday, meaning he is now the joint-tenth top goalscorer in the history of the East Midlands club - it is fair to say that the newly-promoted side will need the 30-year-old firing throughout the campaign to avoid an immediate return to the fourth tier.
Jon Brady's men currently occupy 19th position in the League One standings having collected a steady total of 13 points from their opening 12 matches, with the gap to 21st-placed Wigan Athletic sitting at five points as the division heads into its latest midweek round of fixtures.
There was plenty of praise for midfielder Shaun McWilliams ahead of the defeat to Bolton last time out, with the 25-year-old turning out for the 200th time in Cobblers colours against the Wanderers, and there is a real chance that the academy graduate could end his career as a one-club man.
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Leyton Orient have now lost just one of their last eight matches in all competitions following a respectable 1-1 draw with third-placed Barnsley at Brisbane Road on Saturday afternoon, although the home faithful might have been expecting their side to hold on for a maximum when Joe Pigott opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
Arriving onto the League One scene as convincing fourth-tier champions last term, there was a slight expectation for the O's to be fighting for greater goals than just safety at this level, and Richie Wellens's charges are starting to show signs of being able to compete with outfits in the upper echelons of the division.
A glaring issue for Orient so far this campaign has been their lack of attacking prowess - partly caused by the inability to replace last term's 10-goal striker Paul Smyth, who joined Queens Park Rangers - with Tuesday's visitors managing just 12 goals in their opening 13 league matches.
Due to the limited options at the front end of the pitch, Cypriot midfielder Ruel Sotiriou has been featuring in a two-man forward line alongside the aforementioned Pigott, with the 23-year-old making the net ripple on five occasions in 13 League One appearances so far in 2023-24.
A shaky start to the campaign had Orient fearing an immediate return to League Two, although a run of only two losses in their last 10 has lifted them to 13th in the league standings, with sixth-placed Stevenage - who escaped the fourth tier alongside the O's in May - only four points better off.
Team News
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Northampton will be hoping to have a number of key players available for selection on Tuesday night, none more so than striker Louis Appere, who missed out on the defeat at Bolton due to a minor injury.
Tyreece Simpson will continue his quest for a first League One goal this term should the Scotsman be unfit again, with club legend Hoskins and Kieron Bowie likely to provide service from the flanks.
Another doubt for the Cobblers arrives in the form of Ben Fox, who picked up a knock in training last week - it remains to be seen whether the midfielder will be available for the clash with the O's.
Leyton Orient are expected to name a similar XI to the one which earned a decent point at home to Barnsley, meaning former Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Jordan Graham should continue in a right wing-back role, keeping Ed Turns out of the side.
George Moncur was a staple of the O's promotion-winning team last season, but the midfielder is now often being kept out of the team by the likes of Jordan Brown and Idris El Mizouni.
Following the departure of Lawrence Vigouroux to Premier League outfit Burnley, Orient moved quickly to secure Solomon Brynn on loan from Middlesbrough for the campaign, and the 22-year-old will be aiming to earn a fourth clean sheet on Tuesday night.
Northampton Town possible starting lineup:
Burge; Odimayo, Sherring, Monthe, Brough; Leonard, McWilliams, Bowie, Pinnock, Hoskins; Simpson
Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Cooper, Happe, Hunt; Graham, Galbraith, Brown, Mizouni, Archibald; Pigott, Sotiriou
We say: Northampton Town 1-2 Leyton Orient
Northampton have suffered defeat in two varying styles at Shrewsbury Town and Bolton over the past fortnight, with Cobblers supporters now expecting a response at Sixfields in this one.
Orient are starting to show why they were the best of the bunch in League Two last term, and we are backing them to record a third win in four games across all competitions on Tuesday night.
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