Worthing 2 Northampton Town 5 - the match report
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Tuesday July 7th, 7.30pm
Woodside Road
WORTHING 2
Ben Pope 12
Omar Bugil 64 pen
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 5
Gozie Ugwu 5
Ricky Holmes 20
Sam Hoskins 36
Marc Richards 55
Joel Byrom 78
Attendance: 750
Worthing first half team: Jack Fagan, Will Hendon, Steve Metcalf, David O'Callaghan, Gary Elphick, Corey Heath, Harry Smith, Brannon O'Neill, Ben Pope, Ryan Morey, Lloyd Dawes
Worthing second half team: Ricky Banks, Matt Piper, Harvey Sparks, Matt Axell, Will Berry, Matt Hurley, Eddie Davies, Sibu Mwamba, Omar Bugil, Ryan Quirk, Jazz Rance
Cobblers first half team: Ryan Clarke, Josh Lelan, David Buchanan, Jason Taylor, Ryan Cresswell, Rod McDonald, Lawson D'Ath, John-Joe O'Toole, Gozie Ugwu (sub Sam Hoskins 9), Ivan Toney, Ricky Holmes
Cobblers second half team: Adam Smith, Chris Hackett, Sam Warburton, Zander Diamond, Rod McDonald, Nicky Adams, Danny Clifton, Joel Byrom, Alfie Potter, Marc Richards, Sam Hoskins
Booked:
Worthing: none
Cobblers: none
Sent off:
Worthing: none
Cobblers: none
The Cobblers travelled to Worthing for a pre-season friendly to mark the opening of the home side’s brand new 3G pitch.
On a sunny south coast evening, Chris Wilder again named different elevens for each half, with some first action of pre-season for Ivan Toney and Ricky Holmes, who both played the opening 45 minutes.
The Ryman South side started well on their new surface and Ryan Clarke made an early save at his near post from Lloyd Dawes, but within 5 minutes the Cobblers were ahead. Trialist Gozie Ugwu made the most of some hesitant defending to nip in ahead of the keeper and roll the ball into the net from a tight angle.
Ugwu left the field soon afterwards, being replaced by fellow trialist striker Sam Hoskins.
John-Joe O’Toole’s tenth minute shot was deflected behind, but the home side were soon back on level terms through Ben Pope. Dawes curled a delightful ball around Ryan Cresswell to release Pope who slid a finish beyond Ryan Clarke.
Cresswell, forward for a set play, poked a shot goalwards from a Buchanan cross but the home defence cleared off the line, but it wasn’t long before the lead was restored, Ricky Holmes sidefooting in a low Ivan Toney cross from 10 yards.
Holmes was inches wide with a free kick from the edge of the area on 27 minutes, while Ivan Toney sent a 34th minute header into the side netting.
Two minutes later Sam Hoskins extended the lead with a hanging header, the striker rising well to meet a Lawson D’Ath cross.
Jason Taylor was tripped inside the area on the cusp of half time, but Ricky Holmes saw his spot kick saved well by keeper Jack Fagan in the final action of a hectic first half.
Marc Richards saw a free kick well saved by the keeper in the opening exchanges of the second half, but the Cobblers skipper added his name to the scoresheet soon afterwards, showing superb composure to hold off a challenge and squeeze a finish inside the keeper’s near post having been played in by a ball over the top.
Nicky Adams tested the keeper with a low drive from 20 yards as the Cobblers continued to dominate, but the next name on the scoresheet was that of the home side’s Omar Bugil. He netted from the penalty spot after Zander Diamond had been penalised for holding at a corner.
Alfie Potter struck the outside of the post with an angled drive as the game entered the last 15 minutes, before the Cobblers went nap on 78 minutes, Joel Byrom driving home in what turned out to be the final event of an action packed game.
WORTHING MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (2) 7
FOULS: (5) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (8) 14
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 5
CORNERS: (8) 10
FOULS: (7) 19
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3