Accrington Stanley 1 Northampton Town 5 - the match report
SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday January 31st, 3.00pm
Store First Stadium
ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1
Piero Mingoia 39
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 5
Ricky Holmes 5
Marc Richards 32 pen, 67
Lawson D'Ath 65, 80
Attendance:
Accrington: Matt Macey, Adam Buxton, Luke Joyce, Dean Winnard, Kai Naismith (sub Josh Windass 68), Marcus Carver (sub Anthony Barry 46), Piero Mingoia, Sean Maguire, Andrew Procter (sub James Gray 46), Rob Atkinson, Seamus Coneely.
Subs not used: Andrew Dawber, Michael Liddle, Seamus McCartan, Nicky Hunt
Cobblers: Matt Duke, Brendon Moloney, Ryan Cresswell, Lee Collins, Evan Horwood, John-Joe O’Toole (sub Zander Diamond 39), Jason Taylor, Joel Byrom, Lawson D’Ath (sub Chris Hackett 84), Marc Richards, Ricky Holmes (sub Billy Bodin 83)
Subs not used: Dean Snedker, Ben Tozer, Darren Carter, Ivan Toney
Referee: Mr D Webb
Booked:
Accrington: Andrew Procter (20)
Cobblers: none
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Accrington: none
Cobblers: Ryan Cresswell (38, 1 match ban)
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.
Northampton Town’s starting eleven was once again unchanged for the trip to Accrington Stanley with new signing Billy Bodin named on the bench.
Ricky Holmes fired the Cobblers in front on 4 minutes, the winger, who signed a permanent deal at Sixfields in the run up to this game, driving through the Stanley defence before smashing a shot home.
Joel Byrom flashed a shot just over the bar as the first half reached the midway point with the Cobblers looking in control.
Marc Richards doubled Town’s lead from the penalty spot on 32 minutes, Richards notching his 14th goal of the season after Holmes had been brought down in the area.
Accrington were awarded a penalty of their own five minutes before the break in an incident which also saw the Cobblers reduced to ten men, Ryan Cresswell shown a straight red card for a trip on Sean Maguire.
Matt Duke saved Luke Joyce’s spot kick but Piero Mingoia was on hand to snaffle up the rebound and halve the home side’s deficit. The Cobblers then made a change, John-Joe O’Toole the player sacrificed for Zander Diamond.
Matt Macey saved a shot from Lawson D’Ath in the opening exchanges of the second half, Chris Wilder’s side still carrying a threat despite their numerical disadvantage.
A deflected shot from Mingoia was well kept out by Duke on 58 minutes, Adam Buxton going close for Stanley from the subsequent corner.
The Cobblers restored their two goal lead on 65 minutes, Jason Taylor playing in Lawson D’Ath who kept his cool to chip Macey from 25-yards.
Marc Richards then made it 4-1 just two minutes later, Richards firing the ball home after D’Ath did well to capitalise on a defensive mix up from Accrington.
Lawson D’Ath bagged his second and the Cobblers fifth on 80 minutes with a cool finish after Richards and Holmes had calved open the Stanley defence.
It finished 5-1, the Cobblers five-star performance their fourth successive victory, Chris Wilder’s side having accumulated an impressive 13 points from the 15 available in January.
ACCRINGTON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 5
CORNERS: (1) 6
FOULS: (2) 5
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 2
CORNERS: (7) 7
FOULS: (5) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 3
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta