Northampton Town sit just two points above the League One relegation zone after 20 matches and have now confirmed that striker Martyn Waghorn will be leaving the club by mutual consent.
The 34-year-old has a wealth of experience at EFL level representing the likes of Derby County and Ipswich Town but will now be searching for the next chapter in his career.
Problems Continue to Mount as Cobblers Lack Creativity
Northampton Town have scored 21 goals, the highest tally of the bottom 11 sides in League One but do not have a reliable prolific front-man to lead the line.
Last season’s top scorer Sam Hoskins has just one league goal so far. Tom Eaves has scored twice and Tyler Roberts has yet to open his account in a team that rank in the bottom three in the expected goals table.
Mitch Pinnock topped the charts for key passes per game and has kept up similar numbers to date. However, they are missing the influence of former loanee Marc Leonard. The talented midfielder is sitting on the bench after a big-money move to League One rivals Birmingham City from Premier League club Brighton.
Cameron McGeehan’s six goals have helped to keep Northampton Town from failing into the relegation places but the Northern Ireland international cannot continue to carry the goalscoring burden for the remainder of the campaign.
The addition of the experienced Waghorn may have been seen as a wise move considering their struggles in forward areas but the short-term deal has come to an end after an uneventful couple of months.
Waghorn Fails to Make an Impact as Northampton Town Slide Towards Bottom Four
The player, who won the Scottish Championship Golden Boot during a prolific spell at Rangers, made six substitute appearances in League One for the Cobblers after joining on a short-term deal in October.
He averaged 0.8 shots per game but could not find the back of the net due to his limited game time, a total of 95 minutes across his six league outings.
Waghorn did, however, score and provide an assist in a heavy 5-2 defeat against Burton Albion in the EFL trophy. He also featured as Northampton Town were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league side Kettering Town.
Goals from forward players has continued to be a problem for the club and ultimately played a role in the recent departure of Jon Brady as manager after 200 games in charge.
Waghorn was unable to help steer the team away from the bottom four but did admit he enjoyed his short spell with the club. According to the announcement on the club’s official website, he said:
“I have enjoyed my albeit short time with Northampton Town. This is a good club and I thank everyone for making me so welcome. I wish everyone involved all the very best for the future.”