Fleetwood's Cian and co not Long-ing for friendly return

Long spent the first half of last season on-loan at Highbury but opted to return to parent club Burnley and seal another loan switch to Bolton.

Bolton went on to pip Fleetwood to automatic promotion but now 22-year-old Long is back in League One and ready to go into battle against his old club at new stomping ground Sixfields.

They might only be a game in to the new League One campaign but Long will not be the first former striker Bolger and company have faced.

Town started the season against former forwards David Ball and Jamie Proctor but managed to keep the duo quiet as they opened the season with a 2-0 win over Rotherham.

It was a win that propelled Uwe Rosler’s side to the top of the league and Bolger says despite coming up against some familiar foes it is just business as usual.

He said: “I guess that is just football.

“It is swings and roundabouts, you get players that you have played with and will play against.

“It just happens that Longy is there, we won’t be showing him any respect on Saturday but it will be good to see him.”

Fleetwood followed up that opening day win with a 2-1 extra time League Cup first round exit at the hands of League Two side Carlisle.

And Bolger says Fleetwood are determined to put things right at Northampton.

He said: “It was a great result on Saturday, Tuesday night was not what we wanted but we have got to work hard now to put things right.

“Against Rotherham we set standards that were high and we need to get back to them at Northampton.”

Last term Bolger netted six times in all competitions to help fire Town to a fourth-placed finish.

But he says clean sheets are his priority, with Town already racking up 14 in 2017 so far.

He said: “Clean sheets are my first aim but if I can chip in with a few goals it will be all well and good.”