Boss Wilder admits there’s still ‘work to be done’ on Cobblers’ defence

Town secured only their fourth clean sheet in 17 Sky Bet League Two games on Saturday when they saw off promotion rivals Mansfield Town 1-0 at Sixfields.

It was the first clean sheet since the September 12 win over Oxford United, and the first for 11 games in all competitions.

The team’s defensive frailties haven’t affected their push up the league two table though, as the goals have been flowing at the other end to ensure the positive results have kept coming.

The attacking aspect of the team’s game is something Wilder obviously desperate to maintain, but he accepts his players could tighten up at the other end.

A defender as a player, Wilder was asked if he took extra enjoyment in his team’s keeping a clean sheet, and he replied: “No, not really.

“We just revel in winning games of football, because that’s what you’re there for.

“The biggest thing is that you score more goals than the opposition, but of course through a season you look at your goals against column and we feel there is work to be done.

“It’s not been a settled back four right the way through the season as we have had injuries, especially in the centre-half positions, which disrupts things.

“But I think the back four that have played in the past two games have done really well.

“It is important we defend from the front and don’t give away cheap goals.

“If somebody scores a really good goal then sometimes you have to hold your hands up, but if we can cut out the silly goals, and the ones we can do something about, we will always feel we are going to create.

“With the players we have at the top of the pitch we always feel we can score, especially when we have Marc Richards in the form he is in.”