Hoskins happy to mark Cobblers milestone with goal

Northampton Town striker Sam Hoskins has set his sights on a century of goals for the club after marking his 400th appearance with the winner against Burton Albion.

Hoskins scored with a deflected 86th-minute shot as they beat the Brewers 1-0 to give Kevin Nolan his first win since being appointed manager just before Christmas.

It was only the second of the season for the 31-year-old, and 92nd in all for the Cobblers, and he is hoping knee problems which have troubled him this term are now behind him.

"I'd like to have been a bit closer to that [100th goal]," Hoskins told BBC Radio Northampton.

"Hopefully now the goals will start flowing - but as long as we keep winning and pushing on up that table, that's the most important thing.

"It's nice to score the winner on a special day for me. I've not been hitting the form I'd like to be in, like I have been for the last few seasons. I've had to stick it out at times but the fans have backed me every game I've played so it's always nice to reward them."

Hoskins scored 22 goals as Northampton won promotion from League Two in 2023 and 15 last season.

But before the goal at Burton, his only previous strike this term came back in September in a 2-1 home defeat by Wycombe Wanderers.

"I came here on trial nine and half years ago," he said. "I didn't really expect to play this many games for the club, but I've loved every one.

"I've had to take a bit of time out, have a couple of injections [because of my knee].

"There's never really a good time to be missing games but for me it was a decision to make to try and settle it down, sit out for a week or so and it feels good now, so hopefully that will be the end of it."

Northampton are 18th in the League One table, six points clear of the relegation places, but have only won six of their 25 league matches so far this term.

Their next two are at home, against Barnsley and Lincoln City.

Hoskins added: "We didn't expect to be where we are in the table at this point but the bottom line is we've not won enough games.

"In the last couple of weeks since the gaffer's come in, he's got us playing a certain way.

"Sometimes it's not pretty to watch but we battle and in the last couple of games we've got clean sheets. If we can build on that, that's what we need to do."