After parting ways with manager Steve Evans, Rotherham United are set to travel to Sixfield Stadium to take on Northampton Town on Tuesday in an important clash at the lower end of League One.
The Cobblers are winless in their last three and will see this game as a golden opportunity to put points on the board, while the Millers will be hoping to see an instant bounce back under their new interim boss.
Match preview
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Kevin Nolan has certainly boosted Northampton since his arrival back in December when the team were at serious risk of relegation, but they have won just one of their last seven leading up to their midweek game.
Most recently, the Cobblers were disappointingly held to a 1-1 draw by second-from-bottom Cambridge United, and the boss will be concerned that his side gave up the lead and only managed to muster one shot on target.
Dropping two points against one of the division’s favourites to make drop to the fourth tier has Nolan’s men 19th in the table, seven points ahead of 21st-placed Burton Albion with seven matches to play.
However, coming up against one of the third tier’s most out of form clubs could give Tuesday’s hosts a major chance to move further away from the threat of relegation, but having failed to win at Sixfields for more than a month, they may find it difficult to make the most of their opportunity.
Three points in midweek would be enough to lift Northampton as high as 15th depending on results elsewhere, but defeat could see their cushion above the drop zone reduced to a more worrying four points.
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Meanwhile, Rotherham have appointed Matt Hamshaw on an interim basis after sacking former boss Evans following a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of relegation-threatened Crawley Town, and the new manager will be in the dugout for the first time against Northampton.
That defeat caused the Millers to fall to 16th in League One, where they are now just two points ahead of their opponents, though they remain nine above the relegation zone.
Hamshaw took charge of Championship side Derby County on an interim basis back in February after the Rams parted ways with Paul Warne, and the temporary head-coach was able to end a seven-game losing streak before handing over the job to permanent appointment John Eustace.
With Tuesday’s visitors having lost three of their last four matches and winning just twice since late January, a point on the road could bring some welcome stability at the end of what has been a disappointing season for Rotherham fans.
If the Millers were to go even further and take all three points in midweek, then they could leapfrog both Peterborough United and Mansfield Town to end the matchday in 14th.
Team News
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Northampton’s frontline of Cameron McGeehan, Tom Eaves and Tyler Roberts will be hoping to produce more of an attacking threat than they mustered against Cambridge this time around.
Supporting them on the flanks will be Sam Hoskins and Mitchell Pinnock from wing-back, while Benn Perry and Terry Taylor should patrol the centre of the park on Tuesday.
As for Rotherham, Hamshaw deployed a back three at Derby, but considering the injury that centre-back Zak Jules picked up against Wycombe Wanderers on March 18, he may avoid making drastic changes to the Millers’ system so quickly.
As a result, expect a backline of Joe Rafferty, Hakeem Odofin, Cameron Humphreys and Reece James to start in front of goalkeeper Cameron Dawson once again.
Up top, striker Jonson Clarke-Harris could be joined by wide men Malik Wilks and Sam Nombe as they try to fire their team back on track.
Northampton Town possible starting lineup:
Burge; McGowan, Dyche, Guiness-Walker; Hoskins, Perry, Taylor, Pinnock; McGeehan, Eaves, Roberts
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Dawson; Rafferty, Odofin, Humphreys, James; Mpanzu, Sibley, Powell; Wilks, Clarke-Harris, Nombe
We say: Northampton Town 1-1 Rotherham United
Neither side are in the strongest form at the moment, but with the threat of relegation looming large, Northampton will be keen to make the most of their chance against a struggling side in midweek.
However, Rotherham could be envigorated by the arrival of a fresh face in the dugout, and the new manager bounce – even after such a short span of time – could help them to avoid defeat on Tuesday.
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