Jones has the inside verdict on rival camp

LEE HUGHES — thorn in the opposition's side

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Jones spent most of last season on loan at Northampton and, having seen both sets of players first hand, he believes Athletic are the superior team.

Northampton have League One’s only unbeaten home record and are further buoyed by their most recent result, a well-earned draw at Leeds in the FA Cup.

They also beat Athletic twice last term, but Jones – on loan at Boundary Park from Wolves – is not unduly concerned.

He said: “Oldham are a better side with better ability, so hopefully we’ll go to Northampton and make sure we prove it.

“I enjoyed my time there and I’m quite close with some of their lads, but they aren’t as strong as last year.

“I know the way they play, and last season they were physical with a lot of height, but they have lost a bit of that.

“They will be missing a few important players against us, but we’ve got Lee Hughes back and I think he and Chris Taylor will cause them all kinds of problems.

“Hopefully we can jump on them early and get ourselves in front because their fans can turn a bit when things aren’t going too well.

“Making a good start would really work in our favour, and we are going there for three points to get ourselves back on track in the league.”

Jones made 39 appearances for Northampton last season as they finished ninth in the table, one place below Athletic.

But he said the absence of their influential captain and centre-half, the injured Chris Doig, could be a crucial factor tomorrow.

Other news from the Cobblers camp is positive for Athletic as boss Stuart Gray will be missing several of his players.

Doig, midfield man Abdul Osman, forward Colin Larkin and playmaker Giles Coke, who was sent off at Leeds last week, have all been ruled out.

In addition, Northampton’s top scorer, the hugely powerful Bayo Akinfenwa, is a major injury doubt.

And, amazingly, since Akinfenwa broke into the team following his arrival in January, Northampton have never won without him.

They still, however, boast plenty of experience up front, where on-loan Preston man Karl Hawley comes back in after being refused permission to play in the cup.

Scott McGleish, with an overall career record of more than 200 goals, has just returned to the Sixfields Stadium on loan from Wycombe.

Hawley and McGleish are competing with Leon Constantine, whom Athletic borrowed from Leeds in the closing stages of last season.

Constantine found the net twice in seven starts during his one-month loan at Boundary Park. He joined Northampton in the summer.

Another ex-Athletic man is Andy Holt, who continues to do a reliable job down the left-hand side and is always a threat in the air.

It’s over seven years since Holt (30) moved from Athletic to Hull for £150,000. He also served Barnsley, Shrewsbury and Wrexham before linking up with Northampton in 2006.


LEAGUE ONE FIXTURES Tonight: Bristol Rovers v Scunthorpe. Tomorrow: Carlisle v Brighton; Colchester v Walsall; Crewe v Leyton Orient; Hartlepool v MK Dons; Hereford v Cheltenham; Leeds v Huddersfield; Millwall v Stockport; Northampton v Athletic; Swindon v Leicester; Tranmere v Southend; Yeovil v Peterborough.