Wilder wants more of the same

Chris Wilder wants his side maintain their form and make sure they are battling for a play-off place after thrashing Accrington 5-1.

Northampton have won four games on the spin and are up to 12th following the thumping of Accrington. Their latest win came despite the Cobblers playing with 10 men for 52 minutes - Ryan Cresswell saw red in the 38th minute with the Cobblers leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Ricky Holmes and Marc Richards. The Cobblers defender was then sent off for a challenge on Sean Maguire in the 38th minute and, though Matt Duke saved Luke Joyce's initial penalty, Piero Mingoia fired home the rebound. While the game should have been in the balance, Northampton instead added three more goals in the second half with defensive howlers from Stanley helping the visitors. Lawson D'Ath chipped the ball over the stranded Matt Macey on 65 minutes, Richards added his 15th of the season two minutes later after another a defensive mix-up and a quick breakaway in the 80th minute allowed D'Ath to complete the scoring. "This is a great result. We knew this was a big game for us as it would be a step back if we did not get a result and we would still be looking over our shoulders," said Town boss Wilder. "But we are now looking upwards and have closed the gap. Now we need to have a consistent February and need to make a statement next month and the players are up for it. "The players deserve the credit, those who have come in, those who have come back from injury and the players who were here already who have upped their game. "Against Accrington we capitalised on some mistakes but we look a proper solid team which I am delighted with." Stanley boss John Coleman is now looking at wholesale changes to stop his side getting dragged into a relegation fight after four successive losses. "There is always one team who goes into freefall and we have got to make sure we stop the rot," he said. "Against Northampton, the third goal was the killer goal and then the fourth was beyond a joke and the heart seemed to go out of our side which I am disappointed with. "We didn't show enough fight to make the scoreline even respectable. I take full responsibility - the buck stops with me. I am responsible for team selection and for recruitment and I have put faith in too many players who have not proved good enough. "Now I have to get the players in who are good enough to stay in this division."