FOOTBALL: ANOTHER large travelling contingent will be backing the Sky Blues away at fellow League One strugglers Northampton and manager Russell Slade is determined to provide them with a performance they can be proud of.
The Sky Blues Army have sold out their allocation for the trip to Sixfields Stadium where Slade’s side will be backed by just under 1,500 fans who will make the short trip down the M45.
“The supporters have been terrific this season and there’s going to be another big crowd at Northampton on Saturday,” Slade told the Observer.
“Hundreds made the three-and-half-hour trip to Swansea on Tuesday evening which is incredible. I think it was something like 600 fans there. Incredible.
“We’ll have a big following on Saturday and we want to give them a big performance, but with that comes a little pressure. We have to be committed and get that league win then kick on.”
Saturday’s match at Sixfields brings together two sides who are both in desperate need of three points at the wrong end of the table.
Justin Edinburgh’s Northampton have lost five games in a row and have tasted defeat ten times in their previous 12 league matches.
The Sky Blues have gone almost three months without a league win and sit bottom of League One having lost nine of their last 11 league outings.
“I don’t want it to be a cagey affair but I know it’s going to be very tough,” Slade continued.
“They’ve had a new manager in recently too like us and he’ll be looking get a positive result. He’s not had the best of starts and it will take him time to stamp his authority on the team but it’s a big chance for us and we’ve got to take it.
“It will be a battle of two teams looking to change momentum. We want to gather some momentum and get out of the situation that we ourselves in.
“It’s been tough. We lacked firepower in our last game against Fleetwood having lost Stuart Beavon which is a big loss for us given his presence up front.
“But we showed a lot of character to hang in there and to come from a goal down to equalise and then get through on penalties was very pleasing.”
The Sky Blues look set to be boosted by the return of Beavon who was taken off at half-time during last Saturday’s match against Fleetwood and he also missed the trip to Swansea.
Marcus Tudgay should also return but penalty hero Ruben Lameiras is recovering from illness and Kevin Foley is also a doubt as he continues to recover from injury.
Slade added: “We’ve got one or two coming back from injury so we’re hoping to be in a much stronger position.
“Charles Vernam has come in this week and has had a couple of sessions so we’ve seen what he’s all about. We’ll see if he starts on Saturday but what I can say is he’ll be in the 18-man squad.”
