Cobblers captain Kelvin Langmead feels it is vital the team improve their form between now and the New Year after what he admits was a sloppy start to what could be a key month.
Town kicked off December with a blank weekend due to their lack of an FA Cup fixture and were then beaten by Cheltenham at Sixfields despite being 2-0 up after 12 minutes.
That loss was their third on the bounce, a run that was arrested with a 1-1 draw at Torquay last weekend, in which Langmead scored an injury-time equaliser.
On Saturday, Northampton play host to Aldershot Town before back-to-back away trips, to Wimbledon on Boxing Day and Gillingham three days later.
They wrap up the festive programme with a home game against Dagenham on New Year’s Day, and Langmead knows a strong run of form in those matches is important if the team are to maintain their position in the pack chasing the promotion play-offs.
“The month of December is going to be big for us and we stated that at the start of it,” he said.
“We’ve had a poor start to it so it’s important we get some positive results over the Christmas period. “We’ve got three or four games in a period of 10 or 11 days and that starts with Aldershot on Saturday, which is a big game for us.”
Langmead scored his fourth goal of the season in the draw at Torquay but his primary duties are defensive ones.
Results have been mixed since he was reunited with Clarke Carisle, who is on loan at Sixfields until January, at the heart of the defence, and Langmead is keen to stress the ‘work in progress’ nature of the central defensive partnership.
“We started the partnership last year and I think the more games we play together the more we will improve,” he said.
“We enjoy playing next to each other.
“He’s a great character and a good leader and hopefully he adds to what I’ve been trying to bring to the team as well.”
 |  |