Relegation-threatened Northampton Town are set to host a resurgent Stevenage at Sixfields Stadium in League One on New Year's Day.
The Cobblers are hoping for a fresh start in 2025 under new boss Kevin Nolan, while the Boro will be looking to make it back-to-back wins after their victory over Bristol Rovers last time out.
Match preview
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Nolan's Northampton are currently 19th in League One after picking up 22 points from their 23 matches so far.
Two points above Crawley Town in the relegation zone, the Cobblers have only won one of their last 12 games in all competitions, and have lost four of their last five.
Former boss Jon Brady resigned in early December after a 2-0 loss against Stevenage in the reverse of Wednesday's fixture left the club 21st in the table.
Since Nolan's appointment just before Christmas, Northampton have played two matches on the road, losing 4-1 against promotion-chasing Reading on Boxing Day and drawing 1-1 last time out against 23rd-placed Shrewsbury Town.
The manager described the draw against the Shrews as a 'fantastic point', and said that his side will be looking to build on their performance as the players continue to adapt to his demands and playstyle.
Notably, the Cobblers had failed to score in the three games prior to Nolan's arrival but have managed to find the back of the net in each of the matches during his short tenure.
However, it remains to be seen whether Northampton are capable of producing against one of the division's best defensive sides, and their offensive capacity will certainly be tested on Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, Alex Revell's Stevenage are 14th in League One, having earned 29 points from their 21 games to date.
Since their 1-1 draw with Reading on November 9, the Boro have lost just one of their seven matches, registering three wins and three draws in that period.
That record represents a major improvement over the form that saw Revell's side lose four games from five in October, and has helped them to stay nine points away from the relegation zone.
Last time out, Stevenage won 3-0 at home against the Gas thanks to goals from Elliot List and Jordan Roberts, as well as a late strike from Jamie Reid, though they did benefit hugely from a red card for Rovers' Jamie Lindsay when the scoreline was at 1-0.
Regardless of the circumstances, Revell will be particularly pleased that his side kept their fourth clean sheet in their last six league games, a stat that is testament to the consistently strong defensive performances that have given Stevenage the best defensive record outside of the top four this season.
Team News
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As new boss Nolan moulds Northampton to his liking, he has only made one change between his two lineups so far, starting Liam McCarron in his first game before deciding on Akinwale Odimayo in the second.
However, McCarron picked up an injury after he was substituted on for Odimayo against Shrewsbury, and this means that the latter is likely to feature on the left-hand side of the defence on Wednesday next to Jon Guthrie, Timothy Eyoma and Aaron McGowan, with Nesta Guiness-Walker operating in a more advanced position.
In a series of unfortunate events, Jack Baldwin, who was substituted on for the injured McCarron, was later taken off himself after a blow to the face and is now a doubt for the clash with Stevenage.
Elsewhere, the Cobblers are still without defenders Patrick Bough and Ali Koiki, Manchester City loanee Luke Mbete, midfielder Jack Sowerby and striker Callum Morton.
As for Stevenage, left-back Dan Butler was taken off with an injury early on against the Gas, and is likely to be replaced in the XI by Lewis Freestone.
In the forward line, Jordan Roberts, Jamie Reid and Elliott List will be hoping to continue their form after all providing goal contributions last time out, and will be supported from midfield by Daniel Kemp.
Northampton Town possible starting lineup:
Tzanev; McGowan, Eyoma, Guthrie, Odimayo; Hondermarck, Chouchane; Pinnock, McGeehan, Guiness-Walker; Eaves
Stevenage possible starting lineup:
Mahoney; James-Wildin, Thompson, Piergianni, Butler; Thompson, Phillips; Roberts, Kemp, List; Reid
We say: Northampton Town 0-2 Stevenage
Northampton may be hoping for a fresh start to the new year under new boss Nolan, but it is difficult to see them scoring given Stevenage's defensive solidity.
It is also hard to picture anything other than a win for Revell's side given the teams' contrasting form, and the Boro may prove too strong for the hosts to overcome on Wednesday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
