COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE
Tuesday April 21st, 7.45pm
Sixfields

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NORTHAMPTON TOWN 3
Jason CROWE 38, Ikechi ANYA 60, Mark HUGHES 75

Attendance: 4,416 (239 away fans)

Cobblers: Chris DUNN*, Paul RODGERS (sub Adam WATTS 80), Danny JACKMAN, Mark HUGHES, Chris DOIG, Luke GUTTRIDGE (sub Leon CONSTANTINE 73), Jason CROWE, Abdul OSMAN, Andy HOLT, Adebayo AKINFENWA (sub Aleksandar PRIJOVIC 46), Ikechi ANYA 
Substitutes not used: Paul WALKER, Ryan GILLIGAN

* Dalepak man of the match

Scunthorpe: Joe MURPHY, Cliff BYRNE, Matthew SPARROW, Paul HAYES, Gary HOOPER, David MIRFIN, Martyn WOOLFORD, Grant McCANN, Andrew WRIGHT, Krystian PEARCE, Liam TROTTER
Substitutes not used: Andy CROSBY, Joseph MILLS, Josh LILLIS, Kevan HURST, Ben MAY

Referee: Mr M Oliver

Booked:
Cobblers: Abdul OSMAN (63, 5th of the season)
Scunthorpe: Andrew WRIGHT (29) 

15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Scunthorpe: 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 named an unchanged side as Northampton Town welcomed Scunthorpe United to Sixfields for this re-arranged Coca-Cola League One match. Jason Crowe, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Paul Rodgers all passed their pre-match fitness tests.

The Cobblers had the first opportunity of the night when a 9th minute cross from Paul Rodgers was not dealt with by the Scunthorpe defence. Andy Holt headed the ball on and the recovering Liam Trotter sliced the ball just over his own cross bar.

Ikechi Anya forced a 12th minute save out of Joe Murphy when he volleyed Luke Guttridge's through ball towards goal, while for Scunthorpe Gary Hooper survived a handball shout to turn and shoot but Chris Dunn was in the right place at the right time to make the save.

Luke Guttridge was close for the Cobblers in the 19th minute. Andy Holt's long throw was only headed away to the Cobblers midfielder on the edge of the area, and he showed superb technique to send in a volley that beat Murphy but bounced back off the cross bar.

Andrew Wright was the first caution of the game for catching Luke Guttridge late.

The atmosphere inside Sixfields was rising, with the crowd getting behind the Cobblers, as Adebayo Akinfenwa shot wide under pressure after playing a one:two with Anya.

The Cobblers had the lead on 38 minutes. Adebayo Akinfenwa slid the ball through to Andy Holt who found Jason Crowe beyond the Iron defence. Crowe managed to beat the onrushing Joe Murphy to the ball to poke it beyond the Scunthorpe keeper and into the net.

Scunthorpe equalised in first half stoppage time when Liam Trotter rose highest to head Grant McCann's corner in via the inside of the post.

The Cobblers made a change at half time with Aleksandar Prijovic replacing Akinfenwa.

The referee awarded Scunthorpe a penalty in the opening moments of the second half when Luke Guttridge was adjudged to have fouled Martyn Woolford. Grant McCann scored from the spot.

Chris Dunn came to the Cobblers rescue on 53 minutes. Gary Hooper got free of the defence inside the area but he was denied by a superb diving save from the big keeper. Twice the rebound fell to blue shirts but the ball was firstly blocked and on the second occasion went wide of the post.

Abdul Osman headed a 59th minute corner just wide of the post, before the Cobblers were level. Andy Holt picked up on a mistake by Liam Trotter to find Luke Guttridge in space on the left and he delivered a cross to the far post that was headed home by Ikechi Anya.

Osman was then booked for tripping Woolford, Gary Hooper's shot from the resulting free kick being deflected just wide.

Andrew Wright turned Mark Hughes in the penalty area but was denied by a superb Chris Dunn block on 67 minutes, but from a resulting corner the Iron retook the lead. The ball was only half cleared and it fell to Matthew Sparrow who scored with a rising shot that went in off the underside of the bar.

Anya was denied a second goal moments later. Danny Jackman delivered a left wing free kick that he met well, but somehow Murphy got his body behind the ball to make the block. Leon Constantine then came on for Guttridge to resume his Sixfields career.

Constantine's first touch won the Cobblers a corner, and from that they were level. Danny Jackman swung the ball in and Mark Hughes beat Murphy with a powerful header.

Paul Rodgers went down injured to be replaced by Adam Watts on 80 minutes, and although both sides continued to go forward, neither could find a winner at the end of a pulsating game, but the point did lift the Cobblers out of the bottom four.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 4
CORNERS: (3) 9
FOULS: (7) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 4

SCUNTHORPE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 6
CORNERS: (4) 9
FOULS: (7) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 5

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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