Northampton Town’s first game of 2026 saw them play out a goalless draw with Stockport County.

Neither the Cobblers nor their promotion chasing guests could land a breakthrough at Sixfields in their New Year’s Day bout, as the game ended without a goal.

A draw means Northampton avoided falling to a third straight defeat. They now sit 19th in the League One table, just a point above the relegation zone but in a cluster of clubs between 13th and 21st split by just three points.

The Cobblers had been hoping for a lift as they came back to Sixfields after back-to-back away defeats in their final games of 2025.

Despite missing players through injury and suspension, Northampton had some early chances against a Stockport side in the play-off places, with Kamarai Swyer firing wide from Kyle Edwards’ cross.

A low quality game saw Northampton creating the better chances, with Edwards and Max Dyche having strikes blocked.

Ben Hinchcliffe in the Stockport goal then made stops in the late stages of the first half, with the keeper making saves to keep out strikes from Edwards and Dean Campbell.

Dave Challinor made four half-time changes to a side that he felt hadn’t got going, but it took until 65 minutes for Stockport to properly test home keeper Ross Fitzsimons.

A good chance would fall for the visitors, however, with Cobblers keeper Fitzsimons making a good save to deny Malik Mothersille.

Ben Osborn would then miss the target from close range, while Northampton nearly struck at the other end as substitute Joe Wormleighton was denied by Hinchcliffe.

But the game would ultimately come to a close with no winner or goal, as each side began 2026 with a point.

Northampton are next in action on Sunday, with Kevin Nolan’s side taking on play-off chasing Bolton away from home.

Northampton’s final game of 2025 saw them lose for a third time in four outings after a 2-0 defeat away at Huddersfield Town.

Joe Low and Bojan Radulovic scored the two goals to win the day for the Terriers as the Cobblers were unable to repeat their away victory over Huddersfield that they had enjoyed last season.

In an extremely tight League One table, Northampton’s defeat saw them slide to 19th place in the table. They are just one point above the relegation zone, albeit in a grouping where just 3 points separate Plymouth in 21st from Wycombe in 9th.

Having conceded 5 goals in defeat at Burton Albion on Boxing Day, the visitors arrived seeking a boost against a Terriers side aiming for the points to preserve their play-off position.

Northampton would have an early opportunity when Terry Taylor saw a strike denied by ex-Cobblers keeper Lee Nicholls.

But Northampton suffered a double injury blow when Cameron McGeehan and Ethan Wheatley were both taken off injured, and as the half wore on, they began to find themselves under greater pressure.

Alfie May’s shot was deflected wide, Ross Fitzsimons turned a Radinio Balker effort onto the crossbar and Leo Castledine’s effort just crept wide.

A breakthrough came for the hosts in first half stoppage time. Northampton had cleared an initial set-piece, but Lasse Sorensen’s follow-up cross picked out Low to touch the ball home and put Huddersfield in front.

May and Radulovic both contrived to miss the target with decent chances to make it 2-0, with Northampton’s best chance for a second half equaliser seeing Nicholls deny Cobblers sub Michael Jacobs.

But it would be 2-0 to Huddersfield in the closing stages. Dion Charles lead a quick counter for the home side before squaring for Radulovic to tap it in.

Northampton had no answer to that as they slid to defeat. Kevin Nolan’s side will be chasing a return to winning ways on New Year’s Day, when they welcome Stockport to Sixfields.

Paul Warne was content to see MK Dons pick up a point on a day when he felt his side didn’t play well enough but felt they could’ve offered more.

Warne reflected on proceedings as MK Dons drew 1-1 in their final game of 2025. Callum Paterson’s equaliser cancelled out Tom Iorpenda’s first-half opener for the visitors, with the result seeing the Dons remain 4th in the League Two table.

Speaking afterwards, Warne said he felt that his side’s first half performance wasn’t quite what he liked but was content to still get a reward.

He said, “My overall feeling was that I think we can play a lot better than that. Credit to Notts County, they made the game really difficult for us.

“I’ve said it in parts before but I don’t think we had enough personality on the ball tonight. But I thought the lads dug in second half, we were a bit more aggressive, won more a bit more of the duels and looked a bit more like us.

“It’s just a pity the last 5, 6, 7 minutes fizzled out. It was all free-kicks and corners at our end.

“It felt like one of them nights where one of the teams might steal it on a set piece but we didn’t get ourselves in any position to do that. A point when you’re not playing well, I think we have to take that and move on.”

A game that saw each side register 3 shots on target during the 90 minutes was one that Warne said felt very tight, and he said that he felt his side could’ve offered more during the contest.

He said, “Obviously, when I’m on the side of the pitch, it’s harder for me to be completely objective because you’re emotionally connected to the game. But when I spoke to the coaches and we looked at the stats, there wasn’t really anything in the game. I just wish we were a little bit more like ourselves.

“It’s my fault – I possibly should’ve made more changes with fresh legs and we just looked a bit jaded. Maybe tired bodies, tired minds, but we just didn’t look as zippy as normal.”

The Dons ‘response to falling behind in the final stages of the first half was to take off three players, and Warne said he felt his side’s display in the first half was poor enough that he could’ve chosen any of his charges to make way.

He said, “It’s very easy being a manager at half-time when you’re not playing very well – you can make changes and I could’ve taken any one of the players off really. I didn’t think anyone was really on song. I just asked for a bit more of a response, and then second half, I thought we were a bit more aggressive and playing forward a bit more.

“We had a bit more impetus and to get the goal was a bonus. At times, I thought we’d go on to win it but the game fizzled out, Notts County seemed to have a grab on the game at the end and obviously, being the home side, you want to finish with your fans thinking you’ll go for it, but it wasn’t to be. We’ll just take a point and move on to the next one.”

Luton Town’s final game of 2025 saw them brush aside Leyton Orient 3-0 at Kenilworth Road.

First half goals by Gideon Kodua, Jordan Clark and Shayden Morris, all of whom had scored in the Hatters’ Boxing Day win over Wycombe, made it 2 wins in 4 days for Jack Wilshere’s outfit.

The three points mean Luton remain 8th, but are part of a cluster of sides in close proximity in the table, with the Hatters just 3 points behind 4th placed Stockport.

Seeking to build on a 4-0 Boxing Day win, Luton began quickly against their guests from East London and scored inside 8 minutes. Kodua received Mads Andersen’s pass, then duly dispatched a crisp strike from outside the box beyond the reach of away keeper Tommy Simkin.

The Hatters would make it 2-0 ten minutes later. The hosts were awarded a penalty when Orient’s Jack Simpson brought down Nahki Wells, and Clark beat Simkin from 12 yards.

A third would fall Luton’s way with 34 minutes on the clock. Kodua’s cross was flicked on by Wells to Morris, who charged onto the loose ball and placed the shot home.

Leyton Orient should’ve made it 3-1 in the final stages of the first half, as Dom Ballard missed the target from inside the six yard box when picked out by Sean Clare.

A quieter second half would see the two sides create fewer opportunities, with Clark seeing a strike denied by Simkin before Teden Mengi made a big block on the line to stop an effort creeping in.

But the points were already secure for the home side, who took points in their final match of the year. The Hatters will be seeking their third straight win when they play on New Year’s Day in their first match of 2026, when they head to Devon to face Exeter City.