Jon Brady vows Northampton will ‘keep fighting’ after defeat at Newport

Jon Brady insists his injury-hit Northampton side will “keep fighting” after they suffered a dent to their automatic promotion hopes with a 3-0 defeat at lowly Newport.

The Cobblers were already down to the bare bones before their trip to south Wales and they lost both Aaron McGowan and Jack Sowerby to injury at Rodney Parade.

To add insult to injury, the visitors were well beaten in the end, despite dominating the first 45 minutes.

Omar Bogle put County ahead against the run of play two minutes before the break, firing in the rebound after Lee Burge had denied Declan Drysdale from a free-kick swung into the box.

Bogle settled the contest from the spot in stoppage time and substitute Charlie McNeill made it 3-0 at the death to pile on the pain for the visitors, who suffered their first defeat since February.

“It was a tough day,” said Brady. “We started off quite well and I thought we looked the team that was taking the game to Newport.

“We had to shuffle it around with the injuries and their goal was disappointing because we defended the set-piece quite well and they scored off the second phase.

“In the second half, we were so disjointed because we were playing so many players out of position,” added the Australian.

“But we had the chances and the disappointing thing about the penalty is that Harvey (Lintott) got the ball. That’s really tough to take.

“But it’s the second loss in 14 games, so we have to put some perspective on it. We’ll keep fighting.”

Northampton, who host Gillingham on Monday, remain second but are now 10 points behind leaders Leyton Orient and only a point above fourth-placed Stevenage.

County move up to 17th in the table and are still nine points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand.

Manager Graham Coughlan is looking up the table after his side once again showed that they can mix it with the top teams in the fourth tier.

“It’s a terrible position to be in, let’s have it right,” said the Exiles boss, who took over from James Rowberry in October.

“We don’t want to be at this end of the table, that’s not how I am built, or the players are built.

“We’ve had to pick the players up (when arriving in mid-October) and it’s been a long, hard slog. Hopefully, we have got to the other side and can build some momentum and put something together for the future.

“I was asked to do a job when I came in, it’s not done but we are on the right road.”

Coughlan’s men go to promotion hopefuls Stockport on Monday.