Well it all finally came to an end, and end it did at the scene of one of our finest victories of last season.

It was at Northampton that we welcomed back Jan Molby with a game winning goal from Sean Parrish and we thought that we had seen the return of the Messiah.  Eighteen months on and Jan Molby has gone, Sean Parrish has gone, JJ Melligan, Craig Hinton, Dean Bennett have gone and now our League status with it.

Sad times indeed but the strange thing was that the majority of the travelling hundreds just didn't seem to mind.  Everyone seemed to be in a good mood as the lads warmed up, Stuart Watkiss chatted to the fans and even posed for a photo for me, the game started and we sang our songs; some good, some funny and some just downright ridiculous.  Ian Foster got a song and a cheer as he warmed up and when the first Northampton goal went in we thought 'so what, who cares'.

The Northampton fans did because if they hadn't won today they wouldn't have been going into the play-offs.  To be honest, from what we had seen of them in the first half they didn't deserve to be.  How ordinary they must be to struggle against our slapstick team.  A team made up of part first and part reserves, if we had a proper reserve side that is.

Getting his first ever game for us, after a year long wait, was Danny Lewis.  He didn't really do too badly and can in no way be blamed for any of the Cobblers goals.  Steve Burton got another game and he didn't do too badly either, got some nice clearances in against a strong wind.  Abdou Sall had another chance to convince us why he has chosen football as a profession.  He failed to convince me.

Adam Chambers made a second appearance and although he still looks too cultured for us he tended to get out of position once too often and must accept that he was at Sixfields today and not at Old Trafford helping the Baggies in their annual relegation battle.

Finally Issey Christie was on the pitch from the start and playing with the intention of not getting his arse kicked by a keeper.  He never got close enough to Harper for that.

On the bench was John Danby; injured, Ian Foster; raring to go, Jermaine Hollis; thinking Christmas had come early and Chris McHale wondering if he was still on the transfer list.

The game got underway and almost immediately Town very nearly scored.  A headed Wayne Hatswell pass back was neatly intercepted by Kirk but from the way his shot went across the goal it must have been on his wrong foot.  After that nothing really happened during a first half only notable for the ball going over the stands because of the high winds and because neither team could get a hang of this passing malarky.
Kirky had a chance to make amends for his miss earlier when he saw his header well saved by Lewis.  Fred Murray, wasn't he in the Munsters, had a shot flash past the post and McGleish headed a corner towards the other corner.

Three of us thought that we had scored soon after when Abdou got the ball into the net only for the lino to rule it out for offside.  That was it then for chances on goal for us for the rest of the half.

With us playing with the wind for this half the fans were expecting the floodgates to open as we stormed in on the Northampton goal.  Dean Keates did in the first minute with a free kick that failed to test anyone and that was it from us.

On the sixty fifth minute Ian Foster finally came on in place of Christie and two minutes later the Cobblers got the goal that they had been threatening us with for so long.  Fred Murray's drive was punched away by Lewis and when the ball went out to Kirk he managed to stop his first shot but Kirk was not to be denied for a second time when he rolled the ball past Danny and into the net.

Before the Town celebrations had died down a fracas broke out with players from both sides in a pushing and shoving session.  It was all so quick that the Harriers fans looked bemused as to what was going on and it wasn't until we saw John McGrath walking, head bowed, back to the dressing room that we knew he had been sent off.  If it was a punch thrown then it's deserved but talking to a Northampton fan on the way back to the car he said that McGrath was kicked by a Town player and then threw the punch with the Town player throwing a punch in return.  Now that's retaliation and retaliation is supposed to be a sending off offence!

Once the flurry of cards had come to an end Northampton sent on Eric Sabin in place of Hearn, the one that should also have been dismissed.  Straight away the difference to Northampton was plain to see with attack after attack being set up on our goal.  We wilted under the pressure.

Towns best player, Josh Low, got on the end of one cross from Sabin that was ignored by our defence and poked the ball in the net and two minutes later got his second and Towns third with another free shot on goal.

Game over.  Life in the League over.  It's what happens about this take over to worry about now.

Will we have new owners by the time the Conference kicks off on August 13th?  Will we have a club at all and will Stuart Watkiss still be here to manage it?

It's going to get very tough and emotional between now and August.