More work to do this week before York
Northampton Town manager Aidy Boothroyd was pleased with the work out against the Stoke City Development Squad on Saturday, and says he is looking forward to the visit of Leicester City on Tuesday night (745pm).
"It was another good test against a different style of team who kept the ball very well," he said reflecting on Saturday's 2-1 win.
"I wanted to get some more minutes in to some of the boys and it was a good exercise. We came through without any injuries and that was the main thing.
"Technically Stoke were a good side. We defended well against them but there were plenty of things we could have done better and we could have worked harder at times. Overall though I was pleased with the exercise.
"We aren't ready for the York game yet. We need another week of work and I am looking forward to the Leicester game. They will be the best side we have played in pre-season, they will starve us of the ball and when we do get it we will have to look after it and make it count.
"It was tough for Josh Moreman on Saturday. It is really hard to come into a club at short notice and to try and make an impression and we will see if we can have another look at him. Danny Emerton did well, he impressed me and we will move on to Leicester and have another look at him. I also had the chance to see some of our younger players on Saturday. They sign contracts because I expect them to come in and influence matches and have an impact. Some are doing that at the moment but some are not and those who are not need to do better.
"We will sit down with Kevin Amankwaah and see if we can do something. If we can then great, if not we will shake hands and move on.
"I have always tried to bring better players in than we had before, and hopefully we have done that. I think Gary Deegan and Darren Carter have the makings of a good pairing in midfield and Ian Morris is a good player who can fill a number of positions. We haven't seen the final team out there yet, that is still in my mind. From the players already on our books we haven't seen Chris Hackett and Clive Platt in pre-season and that gives us another dimension going forward, while at the back we know Kelvin Langmead will be out for a while and we may have to recruit to cover that area.
"There is a lot that can happen between now and the start of the season even if it is only a few days away.
"We have some striking targets but I am relaxed about the situation. A fit Clive Platt, a fit Roy O'Donovan and JJ Hooper with a few more games under his belt are a good strikeforce in this division so I am relaxed with where we are. Alex Nicholls will be back a few months into the season as well of course. There are strikers out there who interest us and who we are working on, of course there are, and if they come off then great but if not I am happy with where we are. We won't be rushed and end up with the wrong player on our books and we won't be bullied into paying over the odds. We have a good first eleven and three or four who can come off the bench and change a game and we just need to add a couple more to that if the right players are available at the right price."
Next month we will be launching our official You Tube channel bringing you behind the scenes footage. You can see the Cobblers players walking out of the tunnel for the Stoke game as part of a sneak preview of the service below.