Somehow, a Cobblers team missing five nailed-on first-team players on Saturday looked more potent and powerful than it has for several weeks, with the end result being a very convincing win against a good Exeter side.
Luke Guttridge, Ben Harding, Shane Higgs, David Artell and one of Danny East and John Johnson would all be on the team sheet when the squad is operating a full capacity.
But for some reason, without these big hitters, the line-up fielded by manager Aidy Boothroyd for the Exeter City game created bags of goalscoring opportunities and took three of them to rack up their best result of the season.
So why did the good gut feeling return when the line-up was made public an hour before kick-off, and why did the team go on to put three past a very strong Exeter team being badly hindered by the unavailabilities?
Here’s why – Clive Platt. No one player is ever responsible for a victory (although this is often lazily presented as the case, and even more so when blame is required for a bad loss) but the statistics do not lie – this Northampton team creates more chances and has more attacking possession when Platt is in it.
Against Exeter, he was the foil for both his strike partner Adebayo Akinfenwa and for the midfielders who were tasked with joining in when the team attacked, the most notable beneficiary being Alex Nicholls.
Of the seven goals Nicholls has scored this season, five were with Platt on the pitch. He retains possession in the final third of the pitch so effectively that it’s almost as though the ball has been rolled in glue before being passed to him.
Emyr Huws was excellent in central midfield, as was Kelvin Langmead in defence – you really can’t ask for more than a goal-saving block, an assist and a goal from a central defender in a game.
Praise also goes to Anthony Charles, a player whose cool and calm disposition is often mistaken for laziness but who enjoyed perhaps his best ever game for the club at the weekend.
In an attacking sense, though, the bond that holds it all together, that secures field position and generates stacks of goalscoring chances, is Platt.
Prior to Saturday’s game the question was whether he and Akinfenwa could play together in the same team. Now the only thing anyone’s asking is why would you ever bother thinking about selecting anyone else?
PLAYER RATINGS
LEE NICHOLLS
Two superb saves from a keeper whose reputation is growing with every single game - 8
CHRIS HACKETT
Another confident performance at full-back, enjoyed running from space and getting on the overlap - 7
KELVIN LANGMEAD
A fine display from a player who has well and truly won over the hearts and minds of the supporters - 8
ANTHONY CHARLES
Cool, calm, composed and thoroughly good value for his role in the acquisition a clean sheet - 7
JOE WIDDOWSON
Another consistent performance from Mr Consistency; so dependable all season - 7
ISHMEL DEMONTAGNAC
There is quality in there, as evidence by several classy moments but needs to work on his decision-making - 6
BEN TOZER
His game was enhanced by the presence of Huws but Gow caused him several problems in the second half - 6
EMYR HUWS
As good a debut as he could have hoped for, retained possession well, was brave on the ball and did superbly for second goal - 8
ALEX NICHOLLS
Showed his instinctive qualities to score a seventh of the season and remains on track for a good season - 7
ADEBAYO AKINFENWA
Combined well with Platt and the team’s wingers and his goal was an absolute cracker - 7
CLIVE PLATT
Never looks like scoring but when your first touch and ability to put others into positions to do so is as good as this, it almost doesn’t matter - 7
Substitutes:
KEMAR ROOFE (for Demontagnac, 61mins)
Found himself isolated at times and was pinned back as Exeter chased the game - 6
LEWIS HORNBY (for Akinfenwa, 81mins)
LOUIS MOULT (for Platt, 90mins)
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