Trophy Semi - superztars

Kyle McAdam is excited about a “grand occasion” in the semi-finals of the Vertu Trophy, having played a crucial role in helping Northampton Town reach this stage for the first time.

The 21-year-old, who recently joined on loan from Nottingham Forest, made an impactful debut by assisting Tom Eaves, whose goal in the 73rd minute secured a victory over AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane.

McAdam, who arrived on transfer deadline day, could have scored himself earlier in the match, but was thwarted by the Wimbledon goalkeeper during a one-on-one chance. “I could have done better, but the keeper made some impressive saves in the first half, especially with his feet,” he shared with BBC Radio Northampton.

“The manager is eager for us to reach the final. Now that we’re just one game away from Wembley, it feels like a massive event. The priority now is to keep the momentum going; we have an important league match on Saturday and aim for consecutive wins.”

“We don’t want to find ourselves struggling at the end of the season; rather, we want to distance ourselves from the bottom of the table.”

McAdam was deployed as a wing-back by manager Kevin Nolan, despite primarily playing in midfield for Nottingham Forest’s Under-21 team. “Kudos to Kyle McAdam for setting up Eaves with a beautiful ball,” Nolan remarked.

The semi-final draw is scheduled for Thursday, February 12, with teams like Doncaster, Stockport, and Luton Town or Plymouth Argyle (who will face each other on February 24) vying for a shot at the final.

Northampton last graced Wembley in 2020, defeating Exeter City 4-0 in a League Two play-off final that was held without fans due to Covid restrictions. They are eager for another chance to play at the national stadium with their supporters present, reminiscent of 2013 when they faced Bradford City but lost 3-0.

However, Nolan emphasized the need to stay focused on the present, considering their current position of 19th in League One and an eight-game winless streak now ended with four points from the last two matches. “Let’s not jump ahead to Wembley just yet; we have many games to play,” he cautioned. “One game at a time. If we’re fortunate to make it there, we’ll all enjoy it, and hopefully, return with the trophy, but there’s a long road ahead.”

Nolan made ten changes for the match against Wimbledon and praised the performance of the players who stepped in, including McAdam. “We’ve put in a lot of effort to get this far in the tournament. We’ve made great use of our squad, and those who played against Wimbledon have established a solid foundation to build upon,” he noted. “These matches offer us a chance to showcase players and I’m thrilled with their performances. With our busy Saturday-Tuesday schedule, we’ll need the entire squad to stay focused and ready for [the game against] Exeter on Saturday.”