Northampton Town v Newport County
LEAGUE 2
Saturday August 10th, 3.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 3
Jacob Blyth 25
Roy O'Donovan 28
Gary Deegan 83
NEWPORT COUNTY 1
Conor Washington 89
Attendance: 4,319 (544 away fans)
Cobblers: Matt Duke, Ben Tozer, Kevin Amankwaah, Lee Collins, Joe Widdowson, Gary Deegan, Darren Carter, Ian Morris, Danny Emerton (sub Ishmel Demontagnac 77), Roy O’Donovan, Jacob Blyth (sub Ivan Toney 73).
Subs not used: Dean Snedker, David Moyo, Claudio Dias, JJ Hooper.
Newport: Jamie Stephens, David Pipe, Andrew Hughes, Max Porter (sub Danny Crow 62), Ismail Yakubu, Adam Chapman (sub Robbie Willmott 79), Lee Minshull, Chris Zebroski (sub Conor Washington 79), Andy Sandell, Harry Worley, Christian Jolley
Subs not used: Michael Flynn, Ryan Jackson, James Bittner
Referee: Mr M Heywood
Booked:
Cobblers: Joe Widdowson (53, 1st of the season)
Newport: none
5 cautions on or before 31 December; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Newport: none
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
New loan signing, Leicester City striker Jacob Blyth, came straight into the side replacing JJ Hooper. Free from suspension Darren Carter returned in midfield with Ben Tozer reverting to right-back.
However after Matt Heath picked up an injury during the warm-up Kevin Amankwaah was recalled with Tozer shifting to centre-half alongside Lee Collins.
Newport twice went close in the opening few minutes, Matt Duke doing well to prevent Collins sliced clearance from going in before from the following corner, tipping a header from Chris Zebroski on to the bar. A curling strike from Max Porter went just wide as the Exiles continued to threaten.
Having worked their way back into the game the Cobblers took the lead on 25 minutes, debutant Blyth with a superb header following a good ball in from Ian Morris.
That lead was quickly doubled, Roy O’Donovan curling the ball home from an acute angle having been given too much space in the box by the Newport defence, again Morris the architect.
Zebroski had a good chance to pull a goal back for Newport just before half-time but was denied by another terrific save from Duke.
Former Cobblers loanee Danny Crow came on for Newport just after the hour mark with the visitors continuing to push forward only to be denied by the imperious Matt Duke.
Ivan Toney came on for the Cobblers on 73 minutes with Jacob Blyth receiving a rapturous round of applause as he made way.
Another fantastic save from Duke denied Ismail Yakubu with the header before Ishmel Demontagnac replaced Danny Emerton.
Gary Deegan made it 3-0 on 84 minutes, the midfielder with a cool calm finish after being played in by Toney.
The points were secure but substitute Conor Washington netted a late consolation for Newport to cruelly deny man of the match Matt Duke a clean sheet.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (1) 1
FOULS: (8) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 3
NEWPORT MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (6) 9
CORNERS: (5) 10
FOULS: (5) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 4