COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO
Saturday February 20th, 3.00pm
The Alexandra Stadium

CREWE ALEXANDRA 3
Ashley Westwood 16 and 66, Simon Walton 69

Attendance: 4,036 (513 Cobblers fans)

Crewe: Steve Phillips, John Brayford, Daniel O'Donnell, Joel Grant, Byron Moore, Shaun Miller (sub Clayton Donaldson 86),  James Bailey, Luke Murphy (sub Matt Tootle 61), Ashley Westwood, Harry Worley, Simon Walton. Subs not used: Adam Legzdins, Patrick Ada, Daniel Shelley, Carl Martin, Danny Gardner.

Cobblers: Billy Lumley, John Johnson, Peter Gilbert, Craig Hinton, Dean Beckwith, Luke Guttridge, Abdul Osman (sub Seb Harris 83), Ryan Gilligan, Liam Davis (sub Alex Dyer 68), Adebayo Akinfenwa, Billy McKay (sub Courtney Herbert 75). Subs not used: Paul Walker, John Curtis, Stephen O'Flynn, Paul Rodgers.

Referee: Mr P Quinn

Booked:
Crewe: Shaun Miller (19), Simon Walton (53), Clayton Donaldson (90)
Cobblers: Craig Hinton (42, 4th of the season), Peter Gilbert (64, 3rd), Dean Beckwith (73, 3rd), Ryan Gilligan (80, 10th, misses Hereford and Cheltenham), Luke Guttridge (90, 4th) 

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

Sent off:
Crewe: 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.

Ian Sampson handed a debut to Billy Lumley in the absence of the injured Chris Dunn as Northampton Town travelled to Crewe Alexandra for this Coca-Cola League 2 fixture. Liam Davis returned to the side, coming in to replace the suspended Kevin Thornton.

After a bright start from both sides the first chance of the game came on 7 minutes when Liam Davis released Billy McKay but his shot went wide.

Crewe took the lead on 16 minutes, John Johnson was penalised for a foul on the edge of the area and Ashley Westwood curled the resulting free-kick low round the wall and into the net.

Shaun Miller became the first player to enter the referee's notebook on 19 minutes for an unnecessary lunge on Dean Beckwith.

Crewe were enjoying a good spell and Billy Lumley did well to parry away a stinging drive from Luke Murphy.

As play then quickly switched to the other end Liam Davis fired in a vicious right-footed volley which Steve Phillips did well to save.

Byron Moore then should have done better when well placed on 22 minutes but he fired over from 8 yards.

As the Cobblers looked to get back on level terms, John Johnson had his initial shot blocked before an effort from Dean Beckwith was cleared off the line. The ball then fell to the unwitting Billy McKay before being smothered by Phillips.

Davis found himself in space on 32 minutes but his fiercely struck left-footed effort was again well saved by Phillips.

The Cobblers continued to dominate and on 39 minutes a Luke Guttridge corner was headed over by Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Craig Hinton was somewhat harshly shown a yellow card on 42 minutes for a foul on Byron Moore.

The Cobblers got the equaliser they so richly deserved in first-half stoppage time, Ryan Gilligan firing home a low drive from 20 yards.

Steve Phillips saved a curling Liam Davis effort on 52 minutes before Simon Walton was cautioned for a foul on Abdul Osman.

The Cobblers went in front on 57 minutes and it was that man Adebayo Akinfenwa, scoring his third goal against the Alex this season. Guttridge played the ball into Bayo who turned well just inside the area before firing in a low effort beyond Phillips.

Crewe made their first change on 61 minutes, Matt Tootle replacing Luke Murphy. Peter Gilbert was booked on 64 minutes for a fairly robust challenge on John Brayford.

Crewe were back on level terms on 66 minutes, Ashley Westwood scoring his second of the game with a low shot into the corner.

Ian Sampson then made his first substitution with Alex Dyer coming on for Liam Davis.

Crewe took the lead for a second time on 69 minutes, Simon Walton's dipping volley from just outside of the area beating Lumley.

Luke Guttridge's deflected free-kick on 72 minutes was just about scrambled away by Phillips before Beckwith was booked for a foul on Tootle.

The Cobblers then made their second change on 74 minutes with Courtney Herbert introduced at the expense of Billy McKay.

Ryan Gilligan was booked for dissent on 80 minutes, his tenth yellow card of the season, ruling him out of the Cobblers subsequent two fixtures against Hereford and Cheltenham.

Ian Sampson's third and final change came on 83 minutes, Seb Harris replacing Abdul Osman.

Lumley did well to parry an effort from Byron Moore on 84 minutes, James Bailey firing over from the rebound.

Crewe then made a change on 86 minutes with Clayton Donaldson coming on for Shaun Miller.

Courtney Herbert's deep cross on 88 minutes looked to have crossed the goal line in a scramble but the referee disagreed much to the frustration of the Cobblers players. From the resulting corner Adebayo Akinfenwa's header was cleared by the Crewe man on the post.

Luke Guttridge and Clayton Donaldson were both booked late into stoppage time and Crewe somehow held on to edge what was an extremely topsy-turvy encounter.

CREWE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 3
CORNERS: (2) 3
FOULS: (3) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 3

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (10) 19
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 8
CORNERS: (5) 9
FOULS: (10) 16
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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