The entire length of the League Two table separated Saturday's opponents at Sixfields as Northampton Town looked to haul themselves off the bottom of the Football League with a positive result against Fleetwood, taking heart from a professional performance at Bishop's Stortford last Sunday when the Cobblers avoided an FA Cup banana skin.
League leaders Fleetwood went into the game on the back of four successive victories having knocked Carlisle United out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in midweek and Aidy Boothroyd told BBC Radio Northampton beforehand: "They are a good outfit. They're not unbeatable, but certainly a very good team."
Team News: Boothroyd named Luke Norris and Jacob Blyth up front together in his starting line-up after they combined well in the win at Bishop's Stortford. On-loan winger Stuart Dallas returned to the matchday squad as a substitute while Ben Tozer replaced the suspended Lee Collins.
1st Half: Winning eight corners to Fleetwood's none, the Cobblers made light of their league position in the opening 45 minutes but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a side who employed a sole striker, that position originally being filled by David Ball who came off injured on 33 minutes to be replaced by veteran Jon Parkin.
2nd Half: Town suffered a blow when the influential Chris Hackett was forced off at half-time to be replaced by Dallas while Fleetwood began to exert some pressure of their own at the beginning of the second period only for Northampton to continue to take the game to the league leaders, Ishmel Demontagnac entering the fray for Danny Emerton and immediately coming close to breaking the deadlock.
Then, in a reversal of fortune from recent weeks, Luke Norris scored in the first minute of time added on to secure a much-needed and well deserved three points.
Cobblers Mad will have updates from the game throughout the day and reaction over the weekend.