At Sixfields in Seventh

ARGYLE manager Derek Adams believes his side are in for an open encounter when they travel to Sixfields on Saturday to play relegation-threatened Northampton Town.

Northampton are four points inside the relegation zone with just three games to play. Therefore, the Cobblers will be desperate to win on Saturday, and could be expected to attack. Tactics, Adams feels, could make for an environment which could suit Argyle.

Adams said: “The game will probably be open. Northampton will come at us and we have to then try and pick them off; they haven’t got a situation where they can try and sit in and go for a point, they have got to go for the win. We are likewise; we would like to win the game as well so I can see it being an open encounter.

“It’s two difficult matches that we go into as Northampton and Rochdale are looking to stay in the league. They are going to come at us, that could work for us as they are going to leave space. In previous games against Peterborough and Portsmouth there hasn’t been a lot of space, so that might work in our favour. Two teams that can’t afford to draw the game and we will try to pick them off.”

Argyle currently sit just outside the play offs on goal difference after the midweek results. However, the Pilgrims do have two games in hand on most of their rivals which Derek Adams is hoping his squad can capitalise on.

“I watched the scores coming in on Tuesday night,” said Adams. “Obviously, Portsmouth losing helped us. Shrewsbury against Charlton: Charlton were winning 1-0 and the TV cut to say there was a goal at Shrewsbury and I thought it was going to be a goal for Shrewsbury but in the end it was a goal for Charlton. A very good victory for them which has enabled them to get into the top six.”

Adams continued: “I think we are in good position with five games to go. We have got two games in hand, at the start of the season would we have liked to have been in this situation? We would have. You can see the following we are taking to Northampton and Rochdale, as well as the games getting beamed back to Home Park. That shows you the level of support we are getting.

“We have got games in in hand at this moment in time, but we have got to now try and pick up the points from those games to enable us to finish in the top six.”