COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE
Friday December 21st, 7.45pm
Sixfields

MATCH SPONSOR
Lee Warren Electrical

MATCHBALL SPONSOR
Claret & White Financial Services

PROGRAMME SPONSOR
Paul Cox Panel & Paint Ltd

Attendance: 4,806 (247 away fans)

Cobblers: Mark BUNN, Danny JACKMAN*, Daniel JONES (sub Danny MAY 83), Mark HUGHES, Liam DOLMAN, Jason CROWE, Joe BURNELL (sub Ryan GILLIGAN 74), Bradley JOHNSON, Andy KIRK, Poul HUBERTZ (sub Colin LARKIN 87), Dean BOWDITCH
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Brett JOHNSON

Bournemouth: Gareth STEWART, Neil YOUNG, Shaun COOPER (sub Jem KARACAN 74), Sam VOKES (sub Jo KUFFOUR 46), Danny HOLLANDS, Jason PEARCE, Brett PITMAN, Warren CUMMINGS, James HENRY, Alex PEARCE, Scott GOLBOURNE (sub Lee BRADBURY 67)
Substitutes not used: Ryan PRYCE, Jean-Francois CHRISTOPHE

Referee: Mr C Boyeson

* Lee Warren Electrical Man of the Match

Booked:
Cobblers: none
Bournemouth: none

5 cautions on or before 28 February; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 8 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Bournemouth: 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.

A chilly pre-Christmas evening greeted Northampton Town and AFC Bournemouth for the Cobblers final home game of 2007. Stuart Gray made two changes to the team that had drawn at Nottingham Forest with Andy Kirk and Dean Bowditch coming in for Ryan Gilligan and the injured Ian Henderson. Andy Holt, Chris Doig and Giles Coke remained on the absentee list.

The Cobblers had the lead with their first effort of the night, Dean Bowditch running at the Bournemouth defence and beating keeper Gareth Stewart with his drive that took a slight deflection.

That lead did not last for long though, as Brett Pitman was in the right place to slide a low close range finish beyond Mark Bunn to level the scores.

Jason Crowe fired wide of the far post on 12 minutes after breaking from midfield, but after an exciting start to the game, play settled down with the two defences getting more of a grip on proceedings.

Mark Bunn got behind a curling effort from Scott Golbourne after 36 minutes, before the Cobblers restored their lead, Jason Crowe heading home at the far post from a cross from Poul Hubertz after a patient build up.

Bournemouth made a change at half time with Jo Kuffour coming on for Sam Vokes.

Poul Hubertz curled a free kick just wide three minutes after the re-start, but soon afterwards the Cobblers extended their lead, Daniel Jones diving powerfully home after Jason Crowe and Bradley Johnson had done well to keep the ball alive near the Bournemouth area.

Jones then arrowed another shot narrowly over the bar after good persistence from Andy Kirk, before the Wolves loan man was in the right place at the other end of the field to clear the ball away after Mark Hughes had sent a header back towards his own goal.

The Cobblers added a fourth goal on 67 minutes. Bradley Johnson curled home a delightful finish after Hubertz had played a defence splitting ball to give the midfielder the opportunity.

Kevin Bond made his second change as play re-started, bringing Lee Bradbury on for Scott Golbourne.

Ryan Gilligan replaced Joe Burnell in the Cobblers first swap, while for the Cherries Jem Karacan came on for Shaun Cooper.

Hubertz, who done everything but get on the scoresheet, then headed narrowly wide at the far post, before Jones left to a standing ovation to be replaced by Danny May.

The final change saw Colin Larkin replace Hubertz, who deserved his standing ovation as he left the field.

Andy Kirk drove over the bar in injury time, but the Cobblers had long since secured a comfortable victory thanks to those earlier goals, the first time they had scored more than three in a game at Sixfields since beating Macclesfield Town 5-0 in January 2006, offering the perfect start to the Christmas holidays.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 11
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 6
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (7) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3

BOURNEMOUTH MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 3
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (6) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0

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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