LEYTON ORIENT 3 CITY 0

TO BE the best you’ve got to beat the best - whatever you might say otherwise.

It’s no good acting all Tyson Fury in the pre-fight trash talk if you come out punching like Derek Chisora in the ring.

There had been plenty of bullish words heading into this heavyweight encounter with top dogs Leyton Orient.

Talk from Harry Lewis of being the strongest team in the division - even if the current table clearly doesn’t suggest that.

Talk from Mark Hughes of “bringing it on” and a squad full of confidence for their toughest examination of the season to date.

But ultimately, this was Northampton mark two - a fast, positive start dissipating the moment that their opponents landed the opening blow.

Beginning like a boxer trying to stop the contest inside three rounds, City were instead dumped on the canvas by a couple of clinical shots and then toyed with through the second half.

A fortnight on from that sobering home defeat to another side above them in the promotion places, this felt all too familiar.

Hughes put on a brave face after the final whistle.

“I’m not discouraged. I don’t see that they are markedly better than ourselves.”

I think the 1,200 witnesses who made the trek from West Yorkshire may beg to differ.

Victorious O’s boss Richie Wellens also offered some words of encouragement about “an opponent that will be right amongst it at the end of the season.

“I really like them. They are just going through a little bit of a blip which happens to most teams.”

Of course, it’s easy to be magnanimous when you’ve got three juicy points nestled in your pocket.

Let’s hope that both managers are right in their assessment that this is nothing more than a small pothole on the long and winding road to promotion. But you can understand why the doubts are growing.

To put the result into some perspective, this was City’s first away defeat since Colchester in mid-August - the end of a magnificent run of six wins and a draw on the road.

But more concerning is the fact the Bantams have lost all five games when they have let in the first goal. Barrow are the only other League Two team to match that miserable record from the opening concession.

It does not suggest a trait of rolling up the sleeves and fighting when the chips are down and is something that must be addressed in the coming months.

Hughes again spoke in the week about the importance of scoring the first goal to give you something to build from. His players are yet to demonstrate they can claw their way back when the tables are turned.

It’s only a couple of weeks since City were on the verge of hitting the automatic promotion spots for the first time.

Buzzing from the back-to-back away double at Mansfield and Sutton, hopes were high going into Northampton’s visit.

Now, two defeats against two teams in that top three later, and the gap to third spot has swelled to six points.

No reason to press any panic buttons in a campaign still not at the halfway point. But equally, the same margin going the other way now covers a spread of teams right down to Tranmere in 14th.

The cushion that City had built up in the play-off places has been wiped away in a table that has suddenly become as tight as ever - certainly around and behind them anyway.

The upcoming fixtures have taken on a crucial feel - three of the bottom five in the next three weeks or so as well as the Boxing Day trip to Carlisle, who have taken fifth from them on goal difference.

Gillingham, Rochdale and Harrogate, despite their ridiculous record at Valley Parade, offer the opportunity of a decent points haul to calm the twitchiness. It’s a run that the Bantams cannot afford to waste.

The extra day before another long haul down to Kent might help. But then again, they had 11 days building up to London.

The weekend off to “refresh and reset” appeared to have done the trick when City came bouncing out the blocks on a ground where they have now failed to score in the last four visits since James Hanson’s double in 2015.

But for all the pressing and harrying to catch their hosts off guard in those encouraging opening exchanges, they never delivered anything that might hurt.

Andy Cook snatched at one golden chance after keeper Lawrence Vigouroux was panicked into fluffing a short goal-kick. City’s top scorer again should have scored later in the half when Richie Smallwood’s free-kick just needed a firm touch at the far post.

City had two shouts for a penalty shrugged off by nemesis official Darren Drysdale.

Scott Banks complained he was shoved off the ball in the box, then Tyreik Wright went down with Omar Beckles breathing down his neck. Nothing doing with the referee on each occasion as City fumed but continued to huff and puff.

Like a true champion, Orient then underlined their number one ranking in clinical fashion.

While City had failed to make much of their promising situations, the home side showed how it should be done as Theo Archibald took advantage of a dithering midfield to slide in Charlie Kelman for the opening goal.

City then compounded their problems by coughing up a cheap corner as Cook and Timi Odusina, an unconvincing replacement for Yann Songo’o, went for the same header which flew behind off the centre half.

Worse followed as nobody picked up Tom James lurking with intent outside the box.

The left back delivered a sumptuous strike into the top corner having been gifted the time and space to set himself before letting fly.

The early potential had been knocked out of the visitors. The silence in the away seats reflected the numbing feeling that they were second best again.

Orient, as Northampton had done previously, completely controlled the middle of the park.

Alex Gilliead ran around gamely but with no effect as his partnership with Smallwood was swamped by the creativity and menace from those in red. Harry Chapman was bypassed as the game wore on.

Contrast that with the attacking intent and guile of Archibald and George Moncur, set up by the solid base of Idris El Mizouni and the wily Darren Pratley.

City offered nothing going forward where Cook’s growing frustration was clear for all to see.

There was never a hint of a comeback on the cards in a bitty second half when they were grateful to Lewis for keeping Orient at bay.

He saved well from Archibald and Kelman but was finally beaten for a third time with five minutes to go, sub Ruel Sotiriou taking advantage of a couple of fortuitous ricochets to score from close range as City were once again undone from a corner.