LOUIS SEEKS HAPPY ENDING

LOUIS Appere has already been denied the chance to celebrate promotion with fans and his team-mates twice in his career - and he is in no mood to complete an unwanted hat-trick.

- Dave Flett

The 6ft 1in forward was a member of the Dundee United side that could only toast their Scottish Championship title success in 2020 on a Zoom call after the campaign had been curtailed by Covid and the final positions decided by points per game.

Then, having left Tannadice for Northampton Town midway through last season, he was on the pitch as the Cobblers secured a 3-1 final-day win at Barrow only to be pipped to League Two’s final automatic spot on goals scored after Bristol Rovers overcame an inferior goal difference of five by smashing Scunthorpe 7-0.

Play-off semi-final defeat to Mansfield followed but the Cobblers have bounced back from that trauma, sitting in second place ahead of yesterday’s meeting with promotion rivals Stevenage.

And, if the champagne was put on ice at Sixfields last spring, then Appere is hoping he can finally enjoy popping the corks with his fellow players and supporters this term.

Frustrating