Northampton Town travel to The Lamex Stadium this Saturday for a face off against Stevenage, in the third game week of the new League One season.
This article will look at how both sides could shape up, and how the game could go for both sides.
Head to Head:
Since Fotmob records began (2010) Stevenage have recorded just 4 wins against The Cobblers, 3 of which have been in the last 4 meetings.
05/08/2023 – Northampton Town 0-1 Stevenage
26/12/2023 – Stevenage 3-0 Northampton Town
03/12/2024 – Stevenage 2-0 Northampton Town
01/01/2025 – Northampton Town 0-0 Stevenage
Stevenage vs Northampton Town – live score, predicted lineups and H2H stats
However, the current record between the sides stands at Stevenage 4-11 Northampton Town, with 4 draws. Unfortunately for The Cobblers, their last league win over The Borough came in October 2022, when Shaun McWilliams scored an 87th minute winner at The Lamex.
Northampton Town:
Only 2 of The Cobblers’ squad from that day will be available for tomorrow’s games, with Lee Burge and Max Dyche in contention to start. The only other player still at the club is Jon Guthrie, who is still out with an ACL injury sustained in this fixture on New Years day 2025.
The Cobblers will also be without Tom Eaves, Kamarai Swyer, Michael Jacobs and Liam Shaw, all of which are injured. Jordan Willis will also be a doubt after coming off with seemingly a muscle injury on Tuesday.
There has been a slightly positive update for Town fans though, as Nesta Guinness-Walker looks to be in contention for a spot on the bench this weekend, after missing the start of the season injured. Guinness-Walker quickly became a fan favorite after signing as a free agent during the season, ending with 27 games, 1 goal and 2 assists.
Nolan will also be excited to hand more minutes to Terry Taylor, who resigned for The Cobblers on Monday evening, following a successful loan spell last season. Taylor was originally rumored to be out until January, but featured in Tuesday’s loss to Southampton.
Jordan Thorniley missed out on Tuesday’s cup tie after limping off with an abductor injury against Bradford, but it was confirmed that the defender suffered no serious damage, and should be safe to play on Saturday.
The Cobblers put up a great fight against The Saints in the first round of the Carabao Cup, but unfortunately fell just short, as Mateus Fernandes sent Southampton through. The Cobblers were a big threat from set pieces, creating 0.94 Expected Goals from set pieces alone throughout the game, but couldn’t find the final touch.
Northampton Town vs Southampton – live score, predicted lineups and H2H stats
Tuesday’s performance will certainly five Nolan’s group some confidence for this game, looking to get their first win of the season after a loss and draw so far, to Wigan and Bradford respectively.
Possible lineup:
Ross Fitzsimons (GK), Joe Wormleighton, Max Dyche, Connor McCarthy, Jordan Thorniley, Jack Burroughs, Tyrese Fornah, Dean Campbell, Cameron McGeehan, Sam Hoskins, Ethan Wheatley.
Cobblers impressed defensively in the week, with Ross Fitzsimons and Conor McCarthy both making big impressions amongst Town fans. This could be the chance Nolan gives them to show it in an important league match for the club.
Stevenage team news:
Stevenage, managed by former Cobblers player Alex Revell, have made a very strong start to the season with 2 wins from 2 league games. They originally beat Blackpool 3-2 on the opening day, then going on to overcome Rotherham 1-0 last Saturday.
The Borough did also lose out in their Carabao cup tie, losing 3-1 to newly promoted Championship side Charlton Athletic, although both sides rotated their sides massively.
Stevenage striker Jamie Reid goes into this game as the League One top scorer, with 3 goals in 2 games already. Reid scored 2 on the opening day, with 1 penalty, and a header to win the game against Rotherham. Cobblers will have to do well to keep the danger man quiet, who already has 3 goals against them in the last 4 meetings.
Top scorer – League One 2025/2026 stats
At the other end of the pitch, Stevenage have been consistently strong for a number of years. Borough were ranked 8th in League One for goals conceded last season, with just 50 goals conceded across the league season, and 4th the year before with 46 goals conceded.
This is largely down to Carl Piergianni, who has become a vital part of the Stevenage defense since joining from Oldham in 2022. Piergianni won promotion from League Two in his first Stevenage season, and has played 156 games for the club in just over 3 seasons. He finished 3rd in the League Two fans’ Player of the Year in the promotion season, and appeared regularly in many pundits’ League One Team of the Season for the 2023/2024 season.
One player Stevenage will certainly be without is former Cobbler, Tyreece Simpson. Simpson had a, to put it kindly, disappointing loan spell with Town in the 2023/24 campaign, and looks to be ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles.
Louis Thompson remains the only other doubt through injury, with Dan Phillips playing 90 minutes on Tuesday despite a bandage round his head for the duration. Jake Young has been missed out of the 3 Stevenage squads so far, but there is no confirmed injury for the striker.
Possible Lineup:
Filip Marschall (GK), Luther Wildin, Charlie Goode, Carl Piergianni, Dan Butler, Jordan Houghton, Harvey White, Jordan Roberts, Dan Kemp, Pheonix Patterson, Jamie Reid.
With 2 wins from 2 and a limited pool of players to chose from, it is difficult to justify many changes from the side that beat both Rotherham and Blackpool. Many would say a third game unchanged would be the obvious prediction. But that’s just boring, isn’t it?
I think Revell might try and give Pheonix Patterson a start on the left wing. Patterson joined the club this summer after 3 years at Fleetwood, and started on Tuesday night against Charlton. He would be replacing Chem Campbell, who has not been particularly eye-catching in his 3 Boro starts so far.
My Prediction:
Although Stevenage are favorites heading into the game, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Nolan get The Cobblers fighting from minute 1. A big game for both sides who could be around each other come the end of the season, and I think it’ll end a 1-1 draw. Houghton and Hoskins to score.
