Northampton Town XI 3 Cambridge United XI 2 - the match report
David Cornell, Paul Anderson, Aaron Phillips, Raheem Hanley, Jak McCourt, Rod McDonald, Harry Beautyman, Emmanuel Sonupe and Gregg Wylde all featured as a Cobblers reserve side beat Cambridge United in a behind closed-doors friendly at Sixfields on Tuesday.
Northampton Town moved the ball around well inside the opening stages but it was the visitors who created the first chance of the game. A shot from 25 yards was deflected wide by McDonald and Phillips cleared the resulting corner.
The breakthrough was made on 8 minutes as Tom Rosenthal, a midfielder who has been training with the club, converted from the edge of the box after Gregg Wylde’s drilled cross was cleared into his path.
Cambridge reacted quickly to falling behind and equalised two minutes later. A ball into the box was controlled 10 yards out and a well-taken finish beat Cornell on his right side.
Wylde showed good flashes of pace on the left and almost played Emmanuel Sonupe through on goal but his ball was cut-out on the stretch and Cambridge managed to clear the danger.
Jak McCourt came close on 34 minutes after having a powerful shot from 25 yards tipped over the crossbar following good play on the left by both Wylde and Raheem Hanley. Beautyman then had a decent strike saved after being played in by Sonupe.
Hanley and Sonupe then went close again in the final stages of the first-half but both saw efforts well saved.
The Cobblers re-took the lead early inside the second half from the penalty spot after Sonupe was brought down on the left side of the box. He picked himself up to finish calmly past the Cambridge ‘keeper.
Sonupe had a great chance to get his second goal of the game but skewed his shot wide from close range following a quick break over halfway from Wylde.
United equalised against the run of play from 25 yards when a right-footed strike squeezed under Cornell and bounced in off of the left-hand post on 72 minutes.
With 8 minutes remaining the Cobblers were back ahead after a cross from the right was deflected into the net from close range by a United defender.
Cambridge pressed for an equaliser and forced a penalty in the 89th minute, only for Cornell to pull off a fantastic diving save to ensure the victory.