COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO
Saturday September 26th, 3pm
Prostar Stadium

SHREWSBURY TOWN 3
Jake Robinson 22, Joss Labadie 49, Kelvin Langmead 54

Attendance: 5,548 (461 Cobblers fans)

Shrewsbury: Steve Phillips, Dean Holden (sub Harry Hooman 66), Graham Coughlan, Kelvin Langmead, Dave Hibbert, Jake Robinson (sub Kris Bright 74), Paul Murray (sub Lewis Neal 63), Jake Simpson, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Joss Labadie, Kevin McIntyre. Subs not used: Nathan Elder, Steve Leslie, Andre Gray, Andreas Arestidou.

Cobblers: Chris Dunn, John Johnson, Andy Holt, Craig Hinton, Dean Beckwith, Gary Mulligan (sub Courtney Herbert 64), Ryan Gilligan, John Curtis (sub Alex Dyer 74), Luke Guttridge, Adebayo Akinfenwa (sub Ben Marshall 35), Steve Guinan. Subs not used: Simon Brown, Chris McCready, Seb Harris, Luke Boden.

Referee: Mr G Eltringham

Booked:
Shrewsbury: Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (36)
Cobblers: none

5 cautions on or before 28 February; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Shrewsbury: 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.

Northampton Town made their first ever trip to the Prostar Stadium with Ian Sampson making 5 changes to the team that had started against Rochdale the previous week. Chris Dunn, John Johnson, Gary Mulligan, Luke Guttridge and Steve Guinan replaced Simon Brown, Ben Marshall, Alex Dyer, Abdul Osman and Luke Boden.

The first chance of the game fell to the Cobblers in the 7th minute. A Gary Mulligan cross was half cleared to John Curtis. His header back in to the area was read by Luke Guttridge, but although the midfielder was quickest to react he could not quite find the finish from a tight angle, and the ball went beyond the far post.

Kelvin Langmead headed a 12th minute corner wide for the Shrews, but it was very much against the run of play when the home side took the lead. A low cross from the right was turned home by Jake Robinson from close range.

A spell of concerted Cobblers pressure on the 30 minute mark saw plenty of deliveries into the box but the claret shirts were unable to provide the killer touch on a number of occasions.

Ian Sampson made a change on 35 minutes with Ben Marshall replacing Adebayo Akinfenwa.

After Steve Guinan had shot into the side netting, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff was cautioned for a trip on Marshall. The Cobblers continued to pile men forward but they were nearly made to pay on the counter attack when the home side broke, but Chris Dunn saved well from Robinson.

Back on the offensive went the Cobblers, and Steve Phillips saved well from Guinan, before Ryan Gilligan's powerful half volley was well struck but over the bar.

Luke Guttridge's shot was deflected over as Ian Sampson's side continued to press, while a deep cross-shot from the same player was tipped away by Phillips as the home side kept their undeserved lead intact at the interval.

The home side doubled their lead just after the re-start. A deep free kick was headed in at the far post by Joss Labadie.

That lead was then extended even further in almost identical fashion, a deep delivery - this time from a free kick - was headed home by Kelvin Langmead via the inside of the post.

Luke Guttridge forced a diving save from Phillips, before the same player had a free kick deflected narrowly wide.

Paul Murray was replaced by Lewis Neal in Shrewsbury's first substitution, while for the Cobblers Courtney Herbert came on for Gary Mulligan. The changes continued and Harry Hooman was introduced for Dean Holden for the Shrews.

Ben Marshall cut inside and fired over the bar before both sides made further changes. For the Shrews it was Kris Bright for Jake Robinson, while for the Cobblers Alex Dyer came on for John Curtis.

Dyer's first action was to test Phillips with a low shot that the Shrews keeper dived to tip away, before Guttridge shot over. As if to sum up the afternoon, Ryan Gilligan's shot hit the post and bounced away in the final moments

The Cobblers had dominated much of this game, an opinion backed up by the match stats, but the most important statistic of all earned the home side the victory.

SHREWSBURY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (4) 4
FOULS: (5) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 3

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 12
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (6) 13
CORNERS: (7) 15
FOULS: (4) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 2

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

Advertisement
The Northampton Chronicle & Echo, which prints Cobblers in the Community every Friday, can be delivered to your home for half price with no delivery charge! Please email direct.delivery@jpress.co.uk quoting reference DDHP01 for more details. Please phone 01604 467074 for full terms and conditions.