COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE
Saturday March 8th, 3pm
Bescot Stadium

WALSALL 0

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Adebayo AKINFENWA 8, 71

Attendance: 6,844 (980 Cobblers fans)

Walsall: Clayton INCE, Rhys WESTON (sub Michael DOBSON 81), Anthony GERRARD, Ian ROPER, Darren WRACK, Stefan MOORE (sub Richard TAUNDRY 62), Tommy MOONEY, Lee HOLMES, Mark BRADLEY, Paul BOERTIEN (sub Troy DEENEY 70), Kevin BETSY
Substitutes not used: Bertrand BOSSU, Alex NICHOLLS

Cobblers: Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE (sub Giles COKE 23), Andy HOLT, Mark LITTLE, Mark HUGHES, Gabor GYEPES, Ryan GILLIGAN, Joe BURNELL, Danny JACKMAN, Ian HENDERSON (sub Colin LARKIN 87), Adebayo AKINFENWA (sub Poul HUBERTZ 74)
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Daniel JONES

Referee: Mr A Haines

Booked:
Walsall: Rhys WESTON (29)
Cobblers: Mark HUGHES (30, 10th of the season, misses Swansea 15/03/08 and Nottingham Forest 21/03/08)

10 cautions on or before 8 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Walsall: none
Cobblers: none

Sending offs: 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.

Stuart Gray made one change to the Northampton Town team that made the short trip to Walsall. Poul Hubertz, who had missed training through illness, was replaced by Ian Henderson who was making his first start since the draw at Nottingham Forest in mid-December, a reward for scoring three goals in his last 2 games for the reserves. New loan (re) signing Daniel Jones was amongst the substitutes, as was the fit again Colin Larkin.

Walsall had not lost at the Bescot since October, and had only tasted defeat in three of their last 23 games. They almost took a fortunate 6th minute lead. A Lee Holmes free kick was headed back by Anthony Gerrard, the ball striking the unwitting Ian Roper and going just wide of the post.

Mark Bunn did well to deny Tommy Mooney on 8 minutes, but as play switched straight to the other end, a piece of Adebayo Akinfenwa brilliance did open the scoring. A high ball to the edge of the area was not dealt with by Roper, and as the ball ran free, Akinfenwa found Clayton Ince off his line and coolly lobbed the ball over him and into the empty net.

Jason Crowe had suffered an early injury, and he was replaced by Giles Coke. Coke nearly made an instant impact, but his surging run from Jackman's pass ended with a shot just over the bar.

A lobbed effort from Joe Burnell was held by Ince on 27 minutes, before Rhys Weston was booked after a late foul on Henderson. The name of Mark Hughes soon followed in the book after a foul on Paul Boertien.

After a quiet opening to the second half, Richard Money made a change with Richard Taundry replacing Stefan Moore.

Tommy Mooney met a Lee Holmes cross with a powerful header on 69 minutes but Mark Bunn made a good save, before Walsall made their second change with Troy Deeney replacing Boertien.

The Cobblers lead was extended further on 71 minutes. The home defence allowed Danny Jackman space, and he delivered an excellent cross from the right that was headed home by Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Holmes curled a free kick wide for the home side, before Poul Hubertz replaced the goalscorer who was given a standing ovation by the travelling support as he left the field.

Rhys Weston came off for Michael Dobson in the Saddlers final change, while for the Cobblers Colin Larkin replaced Ian Henderson.

Mooney fired over the bar for the home side after cutting inside Little, before the veteran striker saw his header tipped round the post by Bunn. In the final minute of stoppage time the Cobblers keeper again denied the same player with a near post save.

Although the home side had a late flurry, in truth the Cobblers were very good value for this excellent win that maintains their recent superb run.

WALSALL MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 5
CORNERS: (2) 6
FOULS: (2) 5
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 4

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 9
CORNERS: (3) 6
FOULS: (11) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1

The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.

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