The only way is up for Cobblers defender Lewin

It's a case of looking up not down for Cobblers defender Lewin Nyatanga who remains hopeful of a top half finish this season.
Lewin Nyatanga is in confident moodLewin Nyatanga is in confident mood
Lewin Nyatanga is in confident mood

Three wins from the Past five games plus a gutsy away draw at high-flying Southend United catapulted the Cobblers up to 14th in Sky Bet League One and within three points of the top half, although they slipped to 15th following AFC Wimbledon’s draw at Gillingham on Tuesday night.

The gap to the top 12 is also now up to six points, with Oxford United claiming a 1-0 midweek win at Charlton.

So things are looking better than they were a month ago, but by the same token, Town remain only six points above the bottom four, and with several teams below them still to play games in hand, they are by no means out of trouble just yet.

Nyatanga is not fazed by the danger which lurks just beneath, however, and insists they should be looking up not down.

He said: “From a personal point of view, I don’t really look at survival. We want to be pushing on.

“We started really well and were in the top six but then had a dip and all of a sudden you start looking behind you.

“But now we’re looking in front of us and trying to catch that pack ahead of us.

“There are a lot of points to play. We don’t know where we’re going to end up but we’re definitely looking forward and not behind us.”

Nyatanga, who’s played 29 games this season having signed for the Cobblers on a season-long loan from Barnsley in August, will wait until the end of the campaign before deciding where to go next.

“I think it’s that cliche of taking each game as it comes,” he added.

“It’s essentially out of my hands and if you start thinking too far ahead, another player can take your place.

“Thirteen games in football is a long time. I just have to keep my form and prepare as well as I can for each game and play as well as I can and then, at the end of the season, we’ll see where we are.

“There’s no point even thinking about the future. I’ve just got to think about Fleetwood on Saturday and prepare for that. Hopefully I’ll be picked and perform well.”