‘Not make up numbers’: Rival’s vow as they bid to hand Portsmouth huge promotion boost against Derby County

Northampton have been urged to revel in their opportunity to put the brakes on Derby County’s bid to reach the Championship.

And boss Jon Brady has promised the Cobblers aren’t ‘just here to make the numbers’, as they welcome Paul Warne’s side to Sixfields on Saturday.

Pompey are hoping Northampton do their League One leaders a favour, as they take centre stage in the third tier.

Their meeting with the Rams is one of three games taking place on Saturday, as they bid to halt their four-game winning run which has propelled them up the table.

Derby could move within two points of Pompey with victory, with their mouth-watering trip to Fratton Park to come on April 2.

Brady’s side, in contrast, have failed to win in their past five games but are safely tucked in mid-table after decent form at the end of last year.

The Northampton boss is relishing the opportunity to lock horns with a Championship contender, however, and believes his side can pick up a result if they perform to the levels they’re capable of reaching.

Brady told BBC Radio Northampton: ‘This is what we worked hard for last year to play against sides like this, we're not just here to make up the numbers.

‘They're second in the league, they've had a strong season so far, they're fighting for automatic (promotion).

‘It'll be a game they're targeting to get three points in and for us to compete at this level, I said at the start (of the season), every single player has to be at their best.

‘In any game in this league, we've got to be really good at what we do and we've got to be even better than that against Derby because they are a very good side.

‘To perform at our best is what we try and do every week but as of late we haven't been consistent throughout the 90 minutes and we need, especially against Derby, to be consistent from the first whistle to the final whistle.

‘If we can, we may have a chance in the game.’