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BRADY PAYS TRIBUTE AS PROMOTED COBBLERS ARE SOBBLERS
JON BRADY was in tears as he paid extraordinary tributes after Northampton secured automatic promotion.
Twelve months on since missing out on the top three on goals scored when Bristol Rovers beat Scunthorpe 7-0 on the final day, a magnificent volley from Sam Hoskins secured the Cobblers a place in League One.
Manager Brady’s emotions were there for all to see in a television interview afterwards which put their glory into perspective.
“I more want to say thank you to my staff,” said the Aussie. “Colin Calderwood, who is a great. I would not call them assistants, we are all together, Marc Richards.
“James Alger, my goalkeeping coach, woke up one morning and his wife didn’t wake up. We lost his wife this year and Colin’s lost his dad.
“For those people who have been with us in spirit, it is absolutely amazing.
“Incredible perspective really. People might say it and I might get carried away in the moment but I am not. We are like a family, we look after each other. That is what it has been.
“My wife, unbelievably supportive. My children. When you are in football management, you sometimes push them aside because you are working insatiably to achieve something. But they have been so supportive.”
Northampton banked the three points they needed to grab third place, no matter the outcome of Stockport’s match at home to Hartlepool. After missing out on an automatic spot last year, the Cobblers then failed to progress past the play-off semi-finals.
This time it was all about scenes of delight at the final whistle.
Stockport drew with Hartlepool and when County missed a late penalty, over 2,000 Northampton fans at Prenton Park could start to believe it was their day.
And they were cheering as early as the fifth when League Two Player of the Year Hoskins made his brilliant breakthrough.
As a corner was cleared, Hoskins superbly controlled the ball on his chest before volleying it home from 18 yards past goalkeeper Mateusz Hewelt.
Brady added: “Last year it hurt, I don’t have to do play-offs and we can actually enjoy a moment.”