COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO
Tuesday February 9th, 7.45pm
Sixfields

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NORTHAMPTON TOWN 4
Adebayo Akinfenwa 10, Billy McKay 57 and 61, Luke Guttridge 66

Attendance: 3,206 (67 away fans)

Cobblers: Chris Dunn, John Johnson, Peter Gilbert, Craig Hinton, Dean Beckwith, Luke Guttridge, Ryan Gilligan (sub Alex Dyer 76), Abdul Osman, Kevin Thornton (sub Liam Davis 73), Billy McKay, Adebayo Akinfenwa (sub Stephen O'Flynn 65). Subs not used: Billy Lumley, John Curtis, Paul Rodgers, Courtney Herbert.

Accrington: Dean Bouzanis, Darren Kempson, Andrew Procter, Luke Joyce, Robert Grant, Phil Edwards (sub Johnny Flynn 73), Jimmy Ryan (sub Sean McConville 76), Dean Winnard, Michael Symes, Gary King (sub Billy Kee 46),  Tom Lees. Subs not used: John Miles, John Mullin, Peter Murphy, Ian Dunbavin.

Referee: Mr J Linnington

Booked:
Cobblers: none
Accrington: Tom Lees (86) 

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

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Accrington: 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.

Adebayo Akinfenwa and Peter Gilbert shook off injury concerns to line up against Accrington Stanley at Sixfields. Andy Holt missed out however, and his knee injury meant that Kevin Thornton made his first start for the club. The fit again Liam Davis was on the substitutes bench.

The first effort of the game came from Luke Guttridge, who struck a powerful 9th minute free kick from distance into the side netting. Moments later though the Cobblers did have the lead, and ironically in the absence of Holt, the goal came from a long throw. Johnson delivered the ball into Adebayo Akinfenwa and he used his strength to hold off the defender and travel into the area before beating keeper Dean Bouzanis from close range, the ball going through the legs of the Stanley keeper.

Akinfenwa, Guttridge and Thornton were all crowded out by recovering defenders just before the half hour mark, while John Johnson headed a Guttridge corner over on 37 minutes.

Stanley made a change at half time with Billy Kee replacing Gary King.

The Cobblers lead was doubled on 57 minutes. Abdul Osman won the ball back and found Kevin Thornton. He slid a pass into Billy McKay who held off his man before sliding a low finish beyond Bouzanis.

McKay added his second and the Cobblers third four minutes later when he got the better of two defenders to supply a powerful finish as the ball ran across the face of goal from a Thornton pass.

Ian Sampson then made his first change, with Stephen O'Flynn on for Akinfenwa but as play resumed the rout continued with Luke Guttridge driving Dean Beckwith's free kick low into the net beyond Bouzanis.

The Accrington keeper got behind an effort from O'Flynn before the Cobblers boss took the opportunity to introduce Liam Davis back into the action, bringing Thornton off. For Stanley, Johnny Flynn came on for Phil Edwards. The final changes saw Sean McConville come on for Jimmy Ryan and Alex Dyer replace Ryan Gilligan.

A powerful shot from Davis hit McKay and bounced back off the post, while a close range shot on the turn from O'Flynn was blocked by the unwitting Bouzanis.

Chris Dunn tipped a Robert Grant free kick onto the bar, before Tom Lees was booked for a foul on Davis.

Craig Hinton made a superb last ditch tackle to stop a rare Stanley attack, and at the other end Davis was twice denied by Bouzanis but this game was long since won and the Cobblers continue their march up the League 2 table.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 13
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 2
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (7) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 4

ACCRINGTON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 1
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (13) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3

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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