Cobblers confident Shots game will go ahead

The Cobblers are confident the npower League Two clash against Aldershot will beat the rain and go ahead at Sixfields this afternoon (ko 2pm).

Head groundsman Paul Knowles and his team have been working hard on the Sixfields pitch all week in anticipation of the wet weather than has engulfed the town over the past two days.

More rain is forecast for today, but Knowles is hopeful the game will survive.

“The pitch is in good condition for this time of year with a good covering of grass which helps in wet weather,” Knowles told www.ntfc.co.uk.

“We had the pitch spiked on Wednesday, ahead of the forecast of two separate bands of heavy rain moving in. We also have a waterhog ready and on standby should we need it.

“The pitch took Thursday’s heavy rain very well as it did with the rain on Friday night.”

A statement on the club website www.ntfc.co.uk this morning read; “As of 8.30am Saturday morning the pitch was playable, with no standing water.”

The club also posted on Twitter at 9.40am, with the statement reading: “The pitch is holding up. There is no surface water although it is still raining.”

There has been no statement from Saints regarding any problems ahead of their Aviva Premiership clash with Harlequins at Franklin’s Gardens.

That game is scheduled to kick off at 3.15pm.