Bradford City struggle for answers as the Cobblers put the boot into them

Following the Bantams' latest meeting with the Cobblers, Hughes could have probably done with it being the other way round. Brady might just have a few answers.

Beforehand, Hughes said he was tired of rival managers speaking about their side producing their best display of the season against City. This was another occasion when he would have been heartily sick.

Reassuringly strong on their travels, but with growing issues on the home front is City’s autumn statement. A fifth home league match without a win and they were well beaten as Hughes acknowledged.

After an evenish opening, Northampton were handed a gift for their opener just before the half-hour, courtesy of a poor pass from someone who usually knows better in Richie Smallwood.

The way Bradford allowed their opponents to continually pick them apart on the break after that was far more disconcerting.

City would go onto lose 3-1, but it would not have been flattering if the Cobblers had scored five or six, with hard-running forwards Kieron Bowie and Mitch Pinnock and an eye-catching midfield dynamo in Shaun McWilliams causing a stack of problems in particular.

The absence of Romoney Crichlow, a late loss after sustaining a calf injury which will sideline him for a few weeks, was untimely for City with Yann Songo'o and Matty Platt having a rough day defensively and a mitigating factor.

The way the hosts ceded control of midfield and were bypassed by an energetic, clever and well-drilled Northampton side who had the game plan and City's number wasn't.

On the thorny issue of home form - the Bantams are actually winless in seven matches in all competitions - and what is wrong, defender Matty Foulds admitted: “I don’t know, I can’t answer that question.

“We put in performances away and then it’s just not clicking for us at home. But I’m sure it will turn for us.“The way we want to play, the fans can be a bit on edge. Fair play, they turn out in numbers every week and we haven’t performed for them.”

An excellent crowd of 18,666 came along on a miserable November day. The majority left feeling deflated and there was a whiff of 'Same Old City' after a Bradford side - on a day ripe with expectation and with the stage seemingly set - underwhelmed, not for the first time.

As disappointing as City were, Northampton - beaten just once away in the league this term with wins at Stevenage and Swindon - were handy. Even without the division's top-scorer in suspended 13-goal striker Sam Hoskins.

City's own top gun in Andy Cook drew level with him at the top of the League Two scoring charts when he netted a late penalty after brought down by Sam Sherring.

The Cobblers defender and his team-mates had plenty to sing about before that.

It began when Smallwood's faux pass was seized upon by Pinnock.

After scoring a majestic day almost exactly 12 months to the day in the same fixture, his latest goal was rather simpler, but still well-taken.

The second two minutes later said everything about Northampton’s day. They ripped through the heart of Bradford's midfield. McWilliams started the move and broke alongside the appropriately named Bowie, a real ‘star man’ on the day.

The latter found the supporting McWilliams, who doubled the lead.

McWilliams missed a fine chance to make it three but a third goal was not long in coming on the restart.City, who came out early with Hughes resisting the urge to change things initially, had actually almost reduced the arrears when Alex Gilliead's strike clipped the crossbar.

Hughes's side left themselves open in chasing the game and Northampton enjoyed a feast.Pinnock had missed a golden chance while Fox fired over. Sherring was not so wasteful.

More confident counter-attacking ended with a juicy left-wing cross from Akin Odimayo being headed home well by the centre-half.

Northampton passed up further chances. City's late goal was consolation with a very small c.

Bradford: Lewis; Halliday, Platt, Songo’o, Foulds; Smallwood, Gilliead (East 79); Banks (Pereira 79), Chapman (Wright 62), Eisa (Oliver 62); Cook. Unused substitutes: Doyle, Odusina, Sutton.

Northampton: Burge; McGowan, Sherring, Guthrie, Odimayo (Lintott 87); McWilliams, Sowerby, Fox (Dyche 76); Pinnock (Hylton 87), Bowie (Haynes 87), Appere (Leonard 72). Unused substitutes: Dadge, Eppiah.