The Rovers take on Northampton Town at the Sixfields Stadium tonight, Friday because England play tomorrow. A warm, sunny evening on a pitch that looks immaculate should be a recipe for a good game of football. Both teams have struggled in the opening games of the season but the Rovers got their game back on track with a win at Swansea City last Saturday followed by a superb victory over Bradford City at home in the Johnstones Paint Trophy on Tuesday. The Cobblers picked up a good point at Leyton Orient on Saturday but lost at Luton Town in the Trophy on Tuesday. They have yet to win in the League so the Rovers will have to be on their mettle to keep it that way and take the points themselves in furtherance of their aspirations for the season. The Rovers named the same team that started the Swansea game but the home team have their injury problems with their captain, Chris Doig, suffering a groin injury in midweek and Danny Jackman and Giles Coke also out with injury.

The Rovers, wearing their blue and white strip, defended the South Stand end where their fans, who filled that side of the ground, gave them tremendous support. The Rovers were the first to show on 4 minutes when Stock weaved his way past three defenders in the Northampton penalty area before squaring the ball for Wilson to fire over from the edge of the box. Two minutes later, Holt went down the home left before passing inside to Hubertz, who miscued wide of the goal from 18 yards. Johnson, for the home team then fired wide from 30 yards followed by Kirk getting a sight of goal from just inside the Rovers penalty area but Sullivan was equal to the task and saved easily. The Rovers then went down their right with O'Connor, whose cross was headed down by McCammon for Hayter but he screwed the ball wide under challenge. So, with ten minutes gone the match settled down to a battle in midfield. The home team forced the first corner of the game on 18 minutes but it was cleared. O'Connor was cautioned for a foul and the home team were forced into a substitution before the Rovers then won their first corner two minutes before the half hour, which was cleared. The battle continued in the middle third of the pitch but neither side could gain any supremacy. As the last ten minutes of the half came up the home team won a corner that was easily cleared but the Rovers then got a corner that was headed on by Lockwood before being put out for a throw in to the Rovers on their right. The ball went to the far post where Wilson got in a left foot shot, under challenge, that Bunn, in the home goal, stopped at the foot of the post before collecting at the second attempt. Another corner to the Rovers followed almost immediately from which McCammon got in a header but Bunn saved well. A further corner to the visitors was easily cleared before the half-time whistle went on a crunching first half. A lot of endeavour but little football from either side.

The second half commenced in similar vein to the first but five minutes in and out of the blue the home team took the lead. A throw-in halfway into the Rovers half on the home left was touched on to GILLIGAN, on the edge of the penalty area to the left of goal. He lofted the ball goalwards and saw it beat Sullivan and enter the far top corner of the net. The Rovers reply was for O'Connor to go down the right, put over a great cross for McCammon to head in but Bunn was there to beat it out. Immediately, good work between Hayter and Wilson gave Wilson the chance to hammer in a shot from 25 yards which a defender blocked for a corner to the Rovers. From this the ball came out to Stock to fire in a low shot from 30 yards that had the keeper going down full length to save and put out for a corner. This time Bunn punched away from under the bar. Then a through ball for Hubertz led to a race between him and Sullivan. Both arrived at the same time but Sullivan's tackle was good and strong so he was able to clear. On 63 minutes, Roberts was put away down the Rovers left and hit a hard, low cross into the middle for an unmarked Hayter to volley in from close range but Bunn was there to clutch the ball to his midriff. Continuing the attack Stock fired wide but then the Cobblers made a rare attack to win a corner. Following this the ball was eventually played into the middle where KIRK was able to volley in from close range after 70 minutes. The Rovers tried hard to answer this blow but apart from an effort from distance by Woods the home team kept them on the back foot. However, the game was summed up when the Man of the Match was announced as the home keeper, Mark Bunn. It just wasn't the Rovers night.

Teams - Northampton Town - Mark Bunn; Jason Crowe, Mark Hughes, Liam Dolman, Daniel Jones; Joe Burnell, Alex Russell, Bradley Johnson, Andy Holt; Andy Kirk, Poul Hubertz

Subs used - Ryan Gilligan for Burnell 21 mins; Brett Johnson for Jones 71 mins;

Subs not used - Colin Larkin, Alex Dyer, Chris Dunn gk

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Matthew Mills, Gordon Greer, Adam Lockwood, Gareth Roberts; Richie Wellens, Brian Stock, Mark Wilson; James Hayter, Mark McCammon.

Subs used - Lewis Guy for Greer 74 mins; Paul Heffernan for Wellens 74 mins; Martin Woods for Hayter 80 mins;

Subs not used - Sean McDaid, Paul Green

Cautions - O'Connor, Woods, Mills