THE first two fixtures haven't really provided much of an idea about what to expect at Sixfields this season, with the team producing such a contrasting level of performance in each.

The hope is that the Torquay result is a blip, a minor anomaly that has since been corrected by the way the side played against Brighton.

The instances of such games happening is rare on the first day - unlike on the final day of the season, where outlandish results spring up due to the lack of anything at stake, day one games are often tight affairs, usually between two sides who have trained hard for eight weeks and who have timed their preparations to crest for the curtain-raiser.
My personal view was, and remains, that Torquay are a very dangerous side and could be dark horses for promotion this season.

They won six of their final eight games of last term and then seven of their eight pre-season friendlies, statistics that comfortably place them in the 'no mugs' category.
To be successful this year they must turn Plainmoor into a fortress. It took five hours for some supporters to get there at the weekend, and the squad had to stay overnight - all this for what is one of Torquay's nearest games.

These are all things that will count against visiting teams, and go in the Devon club's favour.

They need to use these factors to be successful, but above all I believe they have a pretty good side and are in with a very good shout of finishing in the top seven.
The general mood among fans after that game was that Northampton would be unlikely to be joining them, but that opinion has altered dramatically in the wake of the Brighton game.

Where there was only one real contender for the Chron's man of the match at Plainmoor, there were several candidates in midweek - a sure sign that the team has performed well.

I gave it to Michael Jacobs in the end, but it could easily have been Nathaniel Wedderburn, Billy McKay or Ryan Gilligan, who I thought was outstanding in right midfield, the position he played when he first came to the club five years ago.