Carlisle United v Northampton Town
SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday March 5th, 3.00pm
Brunton Park
CARLISLE UNITED 1
Hallam Hope 46
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 4
John Marquis 16
John-Joe O'Toole 33, 59
James Collins 74
Attendance: 4,892 (457 Cobblers fans)
Carlisle: Mark Gillespie, David Atkinson, Michael Raynes, Mark Ellis, Danny Grainger, Alex Gilliead, Luke Joyce (sub Alex McQueen 46), Jason Kennedy, Bastien Hery (sub Hallam Hope 46), Derek Asamoah, Jabo Ibehre.
Subs not used: Morgan Bacon, Troy Archibald-Henville, Steven Rigg, Joe Thompson, Macaulay Gillesphey.
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Brendan Moloney, Zander Diamond, Luke Prosser, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Joel Byrom, Ricky Holmes (sub Jason Taylor 90), Lee Martin (sub Lawson D'Ath 72), John Marquis (sub Sam Hoskins 85), James Collins
Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Ryan Cresswell, Danny Rose, Nicky Adams
Referee: Mr David Coote
Booked:
Carlisle: Bastien Hery (45), David Atkinson (65)
Cobblers: David Buchanan (45, 2nd of the season), John Marquis (82, 4th)
10 cautions on or before 13 March; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Carlisle: none
Cobblers: 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.
John Marquis and Lee Martin replaced Lawson D’Ath and Nicky Adams in the Cobblers side for the long trip to Carlisle, their seventh game in 22 days. Former Cobblers striker Derek Asamoah started for Carlisle with ex-Sixfields loanee Hallam Hope on the Cumbrians' bench.
Asamoah shot wide for the home side early on before a finger-tip save from Mark Gillespie denied James Collins.
A John Marquis glancing header from Lee Martin’s tantalising cross put the Cobblers in front on 16 minutes, not long after Carlisle had had a Jabo Ibehre goal ruled out for off-side.
In an open game being played at a high tempo Jason Kennedy spurned a good chance to restore parity almost immediately and Ibehre found the side netting after some neat build-up play from the home side.
John-Joe O’Toole doubled the Cobblers lead on 33 minutes, David Buchanan had the initial shot that deflected into the path of O’Toole and his shot also took a deflection to send Mark Gillespie the wrong way.
Only a last-ditch challenge from a Carlisle defender prevented John Marquis making it 3-0 as Lee Martin continued to cause problems for the home defence.
Keith Curle made a double change at half-time and one of the players introduced, Hallam Hope, quickly halved the Cobblers lead with a goal a minute into the second half.
Gillespie made a good block to deny Lee Martin from a corner before a vital interception from Zander Diamond denied Carlisle on the break.
More goals looked likely and just before the hour-mark John-Joe O’Toole restored the Cobblers two-goal lead, his second of the afternoon a flicked finish from Ricky Holmes incisive inch-perfect pass.
Marquis looked set to make it 4-1 when one-on-one with Gillespie but the Carlisle keeper made the save while in the same move Marquis was again thwarted, this time Mark Ellis making the block.
Chris Wilder’s side weren’t to be denied a fourth goal for long though and on 74 minutes James Collins riffled a shot into the corner of the net to cap off a fine move.
Adam Smith made a great save as the underside of the crossbar prevented Jason Kennedy pulling a goal back for Carlisle on 84 minutes and the Cobblers went on to win 4-1, extending their unbeaten run to 13 matches.
CARLISLE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 12
CORNERS: (3) 6
FOULS: (4) 13
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (7) 12
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (2) 3
FOULS: (4) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta