Preview: Stevenage vs. Northampton Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Stevenage and Northampton Town return to action in League One when they go head to head in a mouth-watering Boxing Day clash at the Lamex Stadium.

Having both gained promotion from League Two last season, both sides have settled in the third tier and will look to close out what has been a successful year on a strong note.

Match preview

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Stevenage were denied a Christmas present as they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Barnsley when the sides squared off at Oakwell on Saturday.

The visitors looked on course to a routine victory when Luther James-Wildin opened the scoring after just four minutes but John McAtee and Herbie Kane found the back of the net to turn the game on its head.

Prior to that, Steve Evans's side were on a 13-game unbeaten run, claiming five draws and eight wins, including a penalty-shootout victory over Port Vale in the FA Cup second round on December 12.

While Stevenage now return home where they have been involved in three consecutive share of the spoils, they are unbeaten in their last eight matches at the Lamex Stadium, claiming four wins and four draws since October's 1-0 loss against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Trophy.

Boro have enjoyed a solid first half of the season, picking up 11 wins, seven draws and losing five of their 23 matches to collect 40 points and sit sixth in the league table, level on points with Oxford United and Derby County.

Northampton Town, on the other hand, continued their stellar home form as they picked up a dramatic 2-1 victory over Oxford City at Sixfields Stadium on Saturday.

After falling behind to Kieron Bowie's 50th-minute opener, Cameron Brannagan pulled Oxford level from the spot two minutes after the hour mark, but substitute Tyreece Simpson struck in the seventh minute of stoppage time to hand the hosts all three points.

With Saturday's result, Jon Brady's men have now picked up seven points from the last nine available and have lost just one of their last seven matches, claiming five wins and one draw since the start of November.

After a rough start to the season, this fine run of form has seen the Cobblers move into the top half of the League One standings as they now occupy 10th place, having picked up 30 points from 22 matches.

While Northampton have struggled to get going away from home, where they are currently on a run of one win in their last seven matches, they will fancy themselves against an opposing side against whom they are unbeaten in 14 of their last 16 encounters, claiming 12 wins and two draws since December 2010.

Team News

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Stevenage will take to the pitch without the services of 26-year-old Harry Anderson, who has been out of action since September through an injury.

Despite failing to make the net ripple in his last two league outings, Jamie Reid remains third in the division's goalscoring chart with 13 goals in 22 appearances and the 29-year-old will be one to keep an eye on.

Mitchell Pinnock, who has started each of Northampton's 22 league games this season, set up both goals in Saturday's victory over Oxford and should retain his role in the XI.

He should be joined in the final third by Scottish forward Bowie and 30-year-old Sam Hoskins, who has scored 12 goals and set up two more in the league so far.

Having come off the bench at the weekend, Jon Guthrie should return to the XI on Tuesday, forming the centre-back partnership with Sam Sherring, who has played every minute of the league campaign so far.

On the injury front, the Cobblers remain without several key players down the spine of the team as the likes of Lee Burge, Tyler Magloire, Max Dyche, and Ben Fox are all recuperating from injuries.

Stevenage possible starting lineup:

Ashby-Hammond; Piergianni, Vancooten, Sweeney; Butler, Forster-Caskey, Burns, James-Wildin; Roberts, Hemmings, Reid

Northampton Town possible starting lineup:

Thompson; McGowan, Guthrie, Sherring, Brough; McWilliams, Sowerby; Pinnock, Leonard, Hoskins; Bowie

We say: Stevenage 2-1 Northampton Town

While Northampton have enjoyed the better of this fixture, their current struggles on the road form give Stevenage a slight edge in this one and we predict that Evans's men will come away with a narrow victory in front of their home supporters.

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