Adams talks up Cobblers’ all-round attacking threat

TEAMWORK - Nicky Adams congratulates Alfie Potter on his goal in last month's 2-1 win over Stevenage at Sixfields

Not surprisingly, striker Marc Richards leads the scoring charts this term with 11 goals and he is well on course to score 20 for the campaign.

Teenager Dominic Calvert-Lewin has done superbly to score seven to date, while Sam Hoskins has five.

Aside from that, goals haven’t been scored in large numbers by anybody else, but almost everybody has been chipping in, includng Adams with one.

Zander Diamond scored the first goal in the recent 2-1 FA Cup win at Coventry and became the 14th Cobblers player to find the net this season, which is impressive.

That total compares very favourably with the Cobblers’ league two promotion rivals, with leaders Plymouth having eight different scorers, Oxford United nine, Portsmouth eight, Accrington nine and Mansfield 11.

Boss Chris Wilder has always stated that for a team to be a success, goals need to come from all over the team and that one main striker can’t be relied on, and he seems to have got his wish this season.

Adams, who was part of the Bury side that won promotion from Sky Bet League Two last season, also feels goals coming from everywhere is a key aspect of success.

“I knew about Rico before I came here,” said Adams. “He is an unbelievable centre forward, and one of the best, if not the best strikers in our league and the league above, he scores 20 a season.

“It has helped that we have Dom (Calvert-Lewin), Sammy Hoskins, John-Joe (O’Toole) has got a couple and goals are coming from everywhere.

“I think Cressy has one, and he should have 10, so we have threats from everywhere which is a good thing.

“if you are relying on one player, and then he gets injured for a few weeks, where are the goals coming from?

“We don’t have that problem.

“At Bury last year we were relying on one or two of the strikers, and then the goals weren’t coming from anywhere else.

“We hit a bit of a dip because of that, so it is good here.

“If we can all keep chipping in and I can get two or three that would good.”

Third-placed Cobblers will be aiming to maintain their recent run of good form when they travel to mid-table Notts County (ko 3pm).