COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO
Saturday February 27th, 3pm
Sixfields

MATCH SPONSOR
Business Times

ASSOCIATE MATCH SPONSOR
The Cobblers Business Club

MATCHBALL SPONSOR
Cobley, Desborough & Co

PROGRAMME SPONSOR
Alan Ringrose of Ayrshire, Scotland

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Adebayo Akinfenwa 52, Seb Harris 85

Attendance: 4,428 (257 away fans)

Cobblers: Jason Steele, John Johnson, Peter Gilbert, Craig Hinton, Dean Beckwith, Paul Rodgers (sub Courtney Herbert 86), John Curtis, Abdul Osman, Liam Davis (sub Alex Dyer 77), Adebayo Akinfenwa (sub Seb Harris 64), Billy McKay. Subs not used: Paul Walker, Michael Jacobs, Stephen O'Flynn, Gary Mulligan.

Cheltenham: Scott Brown, David Bird, Lee Ridley (sub Marley Watkins 64), Michael Pook, Andy Gallinagh, Justin Richards (sub Julian Alsop 46), David Hutton, Elvis Hammond (sub Barry Hayles 46), Ashley Eastham, Josh Low, Danny Andrew. Subs not used: Shane Duff, Kyle Haynes, Will Puddy, Theo Lewis.

Referee: Mr T Kettle

Booked:
Cobblers: none
Cheltenham: Josh Low (11), Ashley Eastham (48), Marley Watkins (78) 

10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Cheltenham: 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.

Ian Sampson handed a debut to new loan goalkeeper Jason Steele for the visit of Cheltenham Town in this Coca-Cola League 2 fixture. The suspended Ryan Gilligan and Kevin Thornton and the injured Steve Guinan, Andy Holt, Luke Guttridge and Chris Dunn were still missing.

The Sixfields pitch was very heavy after torrential rain overnight and another downpour just before kick off, but the game started on time. Adebayo Akinfenwa had the first effort, curling a sixth minute shot wide.

Josh Low was booked for pulling the shirt of Abdul Osman in the 11th minute, before the former Cobblers winger shot over the bar from 25 yards.

With heavy rain falling once more, John Johnson was denied by a superb 24th minute save from Scott Brown, the Cheltenham keeper clawing away his powerful header from a Liam Davis corner.

A surging run from Paul Rodgers on the half hour mark ended with the former Arsenal man shooting over the bar, while a Billy McKay free kick from the edge of the area went close, the ball hitting the stanchion behind the goal.

Cheltenham boss Mark Yates made a double change at half time, bringing strikers Julian Alsop and Barry Hayles on for Justin Richards and Elvis Hammond.

Ashley Eastham was booked for disputing the award of a corner on 48 minutes, while from a different flag kick soon afterwards, keeper Scott Brown had to tip a Liam Davis delivery onto the bar and away for another corner on the opposite side. That corner was taken short, and from a John Curtis cross Adebayo Akinfenwa robbed Andy Gallinagh at the far post and shot low beyond Brown to open the scoring.

McKay shot wide on a Cobblers break, while the striker was then denied by Brown after latching onto a short back pass.

Marley Watkins replaced Lee Ridley for Cheltenham, while for the Cobblers Seb Harris came on for Akinfenwa.

A sumptuous John Johnson cross eluded both McKay and Harris on 75 minutes, before Alex Dyer was introduced for Liam Davis.

Very much against the run of play, Cheltenham equalised on 78 minutes with their first shot on target of the game, Marley Watkins shooting home at the far post from a David Hutton cross. Watkins was then booked for his celebration.

The Cobblers lead was restored from another short corner. This time the delivery from Alex Dyer was glanced in with a flick header by Seb Harris, the American striker celebrating wildly in front of the West Stand to mark his first senior goal.

Courtney Herbert replaced Paul Rodgers in the final change, and although Jason Steele saved an Alsop header in stoppage time, the Cobblers had done enough for a vital three points.

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

CHELTENHAM MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 1
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 7
CORNERS: (3) 5
FOULS: (8) 18
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 4

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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