Chris Hackett has described the goal he scored for the Cobblers in their 2-0 win over Wimbledon on Saturday as ‘right up there’ with the best in his personal collection.
Hackett put the seal on the win with a run that began on the right-wing touchline 50 yards from goal, took him past two players and ended with a clinical finish under visiting Dons keeper Mikhael Jamie-Ruiz.
It was the second goal of a Northampton career that has started very well for the 29-year-old, with a left-footed strike against Rotherham United last month containing similar quality.
But, as good as his solo effort at the weekend was, Hackett does not feel it surpasses his gold standard – the one he scored on his debut for Oxford against the Cobblers.
“I was getting a bit of cramp just before that and when I picked up the ball I had virtually the entire half to run into,” said the winger, a prize summer capture from Millwall.
“It just kept opening up and opening up, so I just drove into the space and managed to get a good connection with my left foot at the end of it.
“The best goal I’ve ever scored was against Northampton on my debut for Oxford but this one is right up there with that.
“I had space to run into and drive into and it was a nice goal.”
Town’s win over Wimbledon elevated Town to eighth in the fledgling npower League Two table and means they have two of their first five fixtures, with two ending as draws and just the single defeat so far – at Plymouth Argyle.
Hackett is pleased with the steady progress the team is making and has been particularly impressed with the meticulous nature and professionalism of manager Aidy Boothroyd.
“I’m enjoying it,” he said. “I’m really impressed with the manager, the set-up here and how professional everything is; behind the scenes they’re really trying to achieve a lot here.
“The manager and the coaching staff really try to do things right and it’s really impressive how they do things.
“We’ve got a small squad of good players and we’re still trying to work out what works best but it’s progressing nicely.
“It’s a long season but we’re happy with how things are progressing here.”