A blow for Cobblers as Bayo is ruled out
Northampton Town could be without top goalscorer Adebayo Akinfenwa for the first of two games in a week that Ian Sampson feels might define the club's season.
The Cobblers play host to Accrington Stanley tonight before their second Sixfields appointment of the week against Aldershot Town on Friday night.
A win tonight would see Sampson's men overtake their opponents in the Coca-Cola League Two table.
And a second in three days' time would put Northampton in the play-off mix with 15 games left to play and with all the momentum behind them for a legitimate promotion tilt.
The team's 10-game unbeaten run will face a stern test tonight – Accrington have won seven of their past eight league games and have
ambitions of a top-seven finish themselves.
The Cobblers' chances of picking up a win have been dealt a blow with the news that Akinfenwa is rated as a 50-50 chance to play and there are injury doubts over Andy Holt and Peter Gilbert.
"Holt, Bayo and Peter Gilbert are all struggling at the moment," Sampson said.
"We're hoping Peter will definitely play but the other two are touch and go.
"I would say Bayo has probably a 50-50 chance of playing and Andy is a little bit better than that.
"Bayo's calf is hurting him and I think Andy just overstretched his knee at Dagenham on Saturday.
"He'll be desperate to play will Andy, I know what he's like and he'll want to be out there but we'll have to see how he is."
Irish striker Stephen O'Flynn is on stand-by to replace Akinfenwa in a game where a victory will put the Cobblers "in a very strong position" for the final third of the campaign.
"We can make it a good season if we do well this week," said Sampson.
"That's what I've been saying to the players.
"We've got two games in a week against two teams that are above us in the league.
"If we beat them we'll go above them and put ourselves in a healthy position.
"We took points off one of our rivals on Saturday and we have the opportunity to do that in the next two games.
"If we do that we'll be in a very strong position for the final 14 games of the season."
Kevin Thornton, meanwhile, will make his first start for the Cobblers tonight – if Holt does not recover from a knee injury picked up in the win at Dagenham.
Holt limped out of the weekend victory after tweaking his knee with eight minutes of the contest remaining.
He was replaced by Paul Rodgers who went to the right wing with Luke Guttridge filling in on the left.
Thornton was already on the pitch by that stage, playing just behind striker Akinfenwa.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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