Caretaker boss Neil Thompson has issued a rip-roaring rallying call to his battling troops ahead of tonight's crunch trip to Northampton Town: "Show no fear".

Thompson went from zero to hero after first seeing his penalty saved and then grabbing a late, late winner at the death in Saturday's 2-1 win over Millwall.

The win staved off an unwanted club record of six successive home defeats, and with six games left to play, kept City treading water above the dreaded trapdoor of relegation.

Now goal hero Thompson is demanding the same attitude and application from his never-say-die Minstermen at the Sixfields Stadium tonight.

"It is another difficult one, another battle as they all are now at the moment," said City's caretaker chief.

"They are a direct side but we should have no fears.

"Saturday's game was a real boost. We thoroughly deserved to win and at the end of the day it was the right result.

"In the first-half especially we played very well and if we had gone in two or three up it would not have been an injustice really."

Sources close to Northampton say manager Ian Atkins is toying with dispensing of his usual three centre backs and two wing backs in favour of a 4-4-2 formation tonight.

The Cobblers used a flat back four at Bootham Crescent in November when they turned in one of their best performances of the season.

Back then, an injury-blighted Minstermen had to fight back to salvage a point thanks to a Richard Cresswell strike.

But regardless of Atkins' intentions, Thompson said he was planning to name an unchanged side and system with on-loan Matthew Hocking added to the squad after serving a one match ban.

Defender Martin Reed has also recovered from injury and together with winger Craig Skinner was also being added to the squad.

"We have got to express ourselves like we did against Millwall and be nice and solid," said Thompson.

"Northampton are in a similar position to us and I think we have got to go for a win at this stage of the season.

"It is important we do not get beat, but three points are better than one and are definitely better than none."

The phrase six-pointer could have been coined especially for this game. The Cobblers are currently fourth from bottom and are just two points adrift of City.

Victory could catapult City up the table and would open up a breath easier gap of five points from the drop zone.

Defeat would see City leapfrogged by Northampton, leaving the Minstermen just one place off the relegation places.

But Thompson is certain that whatever the result it is not do or die for either side.

"There will be a few more twist and turns before the end of the season but we are not looking at the other teams.

"If we do our jobs we will be safe and the win against Millwall brought us to within touching distance of the sides above."

While Saturday's about turn unlocked the barrier to City's dire home form, so Northampton's headquarters have seen a change in fortunes in recent weeks.

After five straight home defeats, the Cobblers have bounced back to win their last two home encounters, including Saturday's 1-0 win over Luton with 16-goal Canadian striker Carlo Corazzin grabbing the first-half winner.

Pouton ban

Star midfielder Alan Pouton will miss one of City's last three games of the run-in.

Pouton's caution against Millwall took him to eight for the season, and not 11 as wrongly reported in yesterday's Evening Press.

The eight bookings however mean a one-match ban ruling him out of the trip to bottom-placed Macclesfield on April 24.

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