Scunthorpe United – HOME

After a busy memorable busy weekend for the Cobblers family.

After a big game under the Friday night lights at the weekend. With a record crowd of 7,798, which is the biggest since September 2016 when the Cobblers faced Manchester United in the League Cup. After a memorable night at Sixfields on Friday with the BT Sport cameras on the Wayne Roney’s Derby County when the Cobblers took them to a reply at Pride Park, this allows the Cobblers to be in the 5^th round hat.

On Saturday the Cobblers Made their first signing of the January transfer window, Winger Mark Marshall joined. The experienced winger has over 350 senior appearances under his belt and has played for Swindon Town, Coventry City, Port Vale, Bradford City, Charlton Athletic and Gillingham. Marshall is a pacy and tricky winger, who helped Charlton to win promotion to the Championship last season and also helped previous club Bradford City reach the League 1 play off final two seasons earlier. Mark is available for today’s game.

To start the week off on a good start the Cobblers add another to signings to the squad. Northampton Town have made a double loan signing. Arsenal midfielder James Olayinka has arrived at the PTS Academy Stadium on loan for the rest of the season. 19-year-old Olayinka played and scored against the Cobblers for Arsenal in the Leasing.Com Trophy game earlier this season. Meanwhile, striker Callum Morton has joined the Cobblers on loan from West Bromwich Albion, also for the rest of the season. They are both available for today’s game.

Paul Hurst

He said: “Northampton’s home record has been excellent. I watched their game against Derby on Friday night, and they played extremely well. They probably felt they could have won that game on a few other days if it had played out the same, and have been picking up some excellent results at home.

“I’ve looked at their games against Morecambe and Crewe, and they scored a lot of goals. Within those games there are things you look at that you hope you can cause problems with, but there’s no doubt they’re a big threat and a confident team at this moment in time.

“I’m sure they’ll be thinking back to their game against us at the Sands Venue Stadium where we won comfortably really (the Iron were 3-0 victors on the day), and it’s going to be a tough, physical encounter.

“They’re in the hunt for promotion and have clearly got threats that we’ll have to deal with. However, I certainly feel we can cause some problems of our own.”

Keith Curle

“As a club it’s fantastic for us to still be involved in the Emirates FA Cup but we’ve got two very important league games this week and right now our focus is purely on Scunthorpe,” he said.

“I felt on Friday night that there was a massive connection throughout the football club on and off the pitch and there was a real feeling of unity.

“We know what we are about, we know what we are trying to do and I think everybody can see and respect that.

“I had an opportunity to watch Scunthorpe on Saturday and we know they have got players who on their day can hurt you.

“Kevin van Veen is a threat but he is not the only threat. I had Alex Gilliead at Carlisle and he is another player with real ability. We know they have got strengths and weaknesses and if you allow them to play how they want to play they will cause you problems.

“We will give them the same respect as any other opposition but we are in good form and we need to maintain those standards.”

THE IMPACT OF KEVIN VAN VEEN

Where would Scunthorpe United be without Kevin van Veen this season?

The Dutchman has scored eight goals in his last 11 games and has also been involved in the Iron’s last eight goals when he has been on the pitch. It just shows how important he is to the Iron’s cause and how much they miss him when he is not in the side. After missing the last couple of games with a dead leg, van Veen went back into the side against Crewe after a cameo substitute appearance at Portsmouth during midweek.

He did not disappoint either, having a massive hand in the first goal, providing the corner from which Jacob Bedeau scored and the netting a superb equaliser.Manager Paul Hurst quipped that van Veen’s goal was only average by the Dutchman’s high standards but it was another strike to savour.

The Dutchman now has 14 for the season and United need to do everything to keep him fit for the rest of the season. He can easily reach 20 goals this season and many will be surprised if he does not reach that target.

Referee

The London-based official will arrive at Sixfields Stadium for his 23rd game of the season and 13th in Sky Bet League Two following his promotion to the National List of Referees after two campaigns on the National League.

His first game in the EFL came on August 3rd when he issued four caution in Exeter City’s 1-0 home win over Macclesfield Town, while he showed four yellow cards in AFC Wimbledon’s 1-0 home win over Portsmouth a week ago in what was his first-ever League One match. His second swiftly followed on Wednesday night when he oversaw Peterborough United’s 4-0 home win over Accrington Stanley, handing out three cautions.

Purkiss has also been handed fourth official roles in Championship games so far this season, most notably at Fulham versus Blackburn Rovers while he was back at Craven Cottage two weeks later in the same capacity for the encounter against Nottingham Forest.

His latest encounter came in League Two at the weekend as he oversaw Stevenage’s home match with Plymouth Argyle which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Pilgrims. He issued one yellow on the day.

Despite being only 21 games into his National List career, he’s already taken charge of the Iron twice previously – the slender 1-0 home defeat to Carlisle United back at the end of August and the 1-1 draw at Salford back in October. He issued seven cautions in the first game, six of which to the Cumbrians, followed by just one to the Ammies in the second encounter.

He’s taken charge of two Cobblers games in the past, both of which this season also. He last took charge of them in the 4-0 away hammering at Crawley Town on Boxing Day. He’s shown four yellow cards across the two games.

Last season, he took charge of a total of 19 matches in the National League, showing 39 yellow cards and two reds. So far in this campaign, he’s shown 66 yellow cards and no reds in 22 games.

On Tuesday, he will be assisted by Thomas Harty and George Byrne, while Richie Watkins will assume the role of fourth official.

Head to Head

Played- 66

Won- 21

Draw- 19

Lost – 26