.jpg)
Northampton boss Aidy Boothroyd blamed last night's loss at Crawley on individual errors in defence.
With the Cobblers visiting Edgar Street on Saturday still needing a point to secure safety, Boothroyd claimed his side had matched the Red Devils:
“It was a really strange game and I can’t remember a half of football like that first one. If you take the goals out of it you’d probably say it was a decent half, but we conceded three really poor goals, all from defensive errors.
“They could all have been avoided, and should have been. We hit the crossbar, got a few strange decisions and I just told the players to go out and win the second half."
Keeper Neal Kitson made the biggest clanger of the night. The rookie American stopper, making only his fifth appearance, pawed a cross into his own net for Crawley's third goal. Boothroyd told the press:
“It was difficult for Neal and it was always going to be because this is a guy who has come over from New York and has been thrown in. He has acquitted himself very well in that time but when you are a goalkeeper you are there to be shot at.
“I won’t be pointing any fingers at anyone but if he’s going to take the pats on the back he’s got to take the kicks up the backside as well.”
Meanwhile, striker Jake Robinson hopes to hit the goal trail soon after failing to open his account for the Cobblers in 34 games so far. He told the BBC that, after hitting 16 goals last term, he just needed one to get him going:
"It's been probably my most disappointing season as a professional. I'm hoping in the last four games to show what I've got to offer. Once I get that first goal, I'm sure they will flow."
Robinson had been out of the starting line up since February with Liverpool teenager Toni Silva preferred in attack, but the Portugese youngster has been out on compassionate leave in recent weeks before returning for a brief sub appearance last night and a turn in the reserves this morning.
