Stevenage striker Chris Beardsley knows that Northampton Town will be no slouches when they travel to the Lamex Stadium this Saturday and one man in particular could facilitate a Cobblers smash-and-grab victory.

Midfielder Joel Byrom, who signed for Boro from Northwich Victoria just two weeks prior to Beardsley’s free transfer move to Hertfordshire following release from Kettering Town back in May 2009, will look to put a pin in Stevenage’s play-off dreams.

Byrom, a losing League One play-off semi-finalist with Gary Smith’s Stevenage in 2012, has made 38 appearances for Northampton this season, scoring three goals.

Knowing the 28-year-old from battles both with and against him during their non-league and Football League days, Beardsley and his team-mates will be wary of Byrom.

Beardsley said: “It must be six years since we played against each other. We have also played hundreds of games together in recent times and it will be different being out there on the pitch against him again after such a long time.

“We know what Joel can bring so we will make sure we are well prepped and ready for him and his team-mates.”

The Boro striker’s season, like many others in the squad, has been blighted by injuries limiting Beardsley to just one appearance in the past month.

His goal tally stands at just three, none since mid-November, but having recovered from a niggling hamstring injury and starting in Monday’s Cheltenham win, Beardsley will hope his best season form is ahead of him at a crucial time.

Beardsley continued: “It’s been tough this past four weeks. There have been a couple of little niggles with the same hamstring but I got through 60 minutes quite comfortably the other day. That was the plan and we stuck to it well.

“I trained as normal this morning and hopefully if I am selected to play this Saturday, I can come up with a goal to help the lads.”