A midweek trip to Northampton brought a cold, windy night and a chance for the Green Army to see Hamza again. With Leon leading the line, FCP also had a new attacking trio to watch.

The conditions made good football difficult. The wind seemed to send the ball wherever it pleased, and the first half was full of long passes as both sides looked to find a way through.
At half-time, 0–0 felt a fair reflection of a tight opening 45 minutes.

There was a nice moment for the Green Army at the break, too, as former Premier League referee Peter Walton came over to meet supporters and pose for a photo.

FCP’s hopes of building on the first-half performance took a knock just minutes after the restart, when the home side scored from another corner. The lads worked hard to find an equaliser, but struggled to create clear chances in the attacking third. Northampton then broke forward to score a second.

Sam produced several excellent saves to keep the score at 2–0, while Vitor struck the post late on as FCP searched for a way back into the game.

The scoreline felt harsh on FCP, who played well and competed throughout, but couldn’t make their efforts count in the final third.

On a night when winter had well and truly arrived, Sam was the Green Army’s Man of the Match for his outstanding saves.