Wilder unfazed by breaking records as Cobblers boss looks at the bigger picture

Northampton didn’t win the game, held to their first goalless draw in almost two years, but without John-Joe O’Toole and skipper Marc Richards, Wilder felt it was another test passed by his team.

The fact it ended a 10-game winning run didn’t faze the Cobblers boss who instead took the view that it was another point towards the ultimate goal of promotion.

“Records come and record go but we’re not here to break records, we’re here to win games of football and accumulate points,” said Wilder.

“The players are disappointed but that’s a good quality to have and I imagine a few of our fans are disappointed but I take a step back and look at the bigger picture and we’re still in a fantastic position with some great games coming up.

“The players have done great and they will do great between now and the end of the season so I’m smiling and I think we all should be.”

Wilder was not too concerned by his side’s toothless display against Hartlepool, feeling they just lacked quality in the final third, but he did reserve praise for Luke Prosser.

The centre-back produced an assured performance as he made his long-awaited Cobblers debut when replacing the ill Rod McDonald midway through the first half.

“I thought Prosser was really good.” added Wilder. “To step into a game as a defender is sometimes a little bit more difficult than a forward player.

“So he had to be ready and he stepped in and did very very well.

“Hopefully Rod will be OK because we want everybody to be ready.

“John-Joe didn’t make it which was disappointing as well and obviously we have Marc Richards at home injured which is also disappointing.

“But we’ve got over those hurdles, whether that’s on Saturday or at Leyton Orient when Danny Rose had to come in for Joel Byrom, or whether it’s losing the skipper or losing one of our most influential players in John-Joe.

“We have to get on with it and we have done.”