COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO
Saturday October 31st, 3pm
Plainmoor

TORQUAY UNITED 1
Chris Hargreaves 82

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Attendance: 2,732 (335 Cobblers fans)

Torquay: Michael Poke, Kevin Nicholson, Chris Robertson, Lee Mansell, Tim Sills, Elliot Benyon (sub Scott Rendell 90), Nicky Wroe, Chris Hargreaves, Wayne Carlisle, Kieran Charnock, Jake Thomson (sub Danny Stevens 81). Subs not used: Scott Bevan, Michael Brough, Mark Ellis, Chris Todd, Tyrone Thompson.

Cobblers: Chris Dunn, John Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Craig Hinton, Chris McCready, Luke Guttridge, John Curtis (sub Ben Marshall 58), Ryan Gilligan (sub Liam Davis 86), Andy Holt, Adebayo Akinfenwa (sub Gary Mulligan 71), Steve Guinan. Subs not used: Simon Brown, Patrick Kanyuka, Alex Dyer, Billy McKay.

Referee: Mr P Gibbs

Booked:
Torquay: Kieran Charnock (16), Jake Thomson (41)
Cobblers: John Johnson (66, 2nd of the season), Ryan Gilligan (85, 6th) 

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:
Torquay: 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 the long trip to the English Riviera with Ian Sampson making one change to the side that had won at Morecambe the previous weekend, the injured Dean Beckwith being replaced by Chris McCready. Liam Davis was named among the substitutes.

On a pleasant Halloween afternoon, the first effort at goal came from the Gulls recent loan signing Jake Thomson but he was well off target with a long range drive. A 6th minute long throw from former Cobblers left back Kevin Nicholson then caused problems, Andy Holt managed to get a flick but he only sent the ball goalwards and Chris Dunn had to tip onto the bar and over. From the resulting corner Dunn was again in action, touching a Tim Sills header onto the woodwork.

Kieran Charnock was booked for a 16th minute foul on Steve Guinan, the free kick saw Holt head back across goal but John Johnson was just wide with his attempt.

Adebayo Akinfenwa was close on 22 minutes. He held off his marker and sent in a shot that beat keeper Michael Poke but the ball rolled along the goal-line and beyond the far post. Guinan was then just off target with a shot on the turn from a Paul Rodgers cross.

Chris Dunn did well to turn away a shot from Sills on 29 minutes, the Gulls striker then heading wide from a corner. For the Cobblers a Guinan header from a Guttridge corner was tipped away by Poke.

Jake Thomson was shown a yellow card after a foul on Johnson, while in the final action of the first half Nicholson drove wide for Torquay from a free kick routine.

A Ryan Gilligan header from a Guttridge corner was cleared away inside his own six yard box by Sills at the start of the second half, while moments later Adebayo Akinfenwa was even closer. A Steve Guinan cross found his strike partner in space and Akinfenwa's downward header was clawed away by Poke. Guinan himself then rattled a shot against the underside of the bar with the Gulls keeper beaten.

John Johnson made a superb 56th minute block from Elliot Benyon, Dunn saving well from Sills in the follow up. The Gulls then had the ball in the net but an offside flag cut short the celebrations.

Ben Marshall replaced John Curtis in the Cobblers first change, before Johnson was cautioned after a foul on Nicholson.

Poke twice denied the Cobblers on 68 minutes. He got behind a right footed drive from Marshall and pushed the ball out, the rebound was met by Akinfenwa but the keeper was able to tip the follow up wide.

Ian Sampson introduced Gary Mulligan for Akinfenwa on 71 minutes, before Kieran Charnock was very fortunate to stay on the field. The Gulls defender, who had already been booked, tripped Marshall for a clear caution but the referee decided against producing a second yellow card.

Danny Stevens came on for Thomson for Torquay, before the home side had the lead. Another long Nicholson throw caused problems in the Cobblers area and Chris Hargreaves scored from close range.

Ryan Gilligan was booked for comments made to the referee before McCready headed over the bar from a corner. Liam Davis was then introduced for Gilligan.

The Cobblers continued to look for an equaliser in the four minutes of stoppage time but there was to be no dramatic ending, a man of the match award performance from Gulls keeper Michael Poke enough to deny Ian Sampson's side.

TORQUAY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 11
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (6) 8
CORNERS: (7) 10
FOULS: (4) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 7
CORNERS: (4) 7
FOULS: (6) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1

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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