COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO
Saturday August 8th, 3pm
Sixfields

MATCH SPONSOR
Cobley, Desborough & Co

MATCHBALL SPONSOR
Topnotch

SHIRT OF THE DAY SPONSOR
PDA Interim

Attendance: 4,064 (225 away fans)

Cobblers: Chris Dunn, Craig Hinton (sub Steve Guinan 77), Andy Holt, Chris McCready, Dean Beckwith, Ben Marshall*, Abdul Osman, Alex Dyer (sub Paul Rodgers 60), Ryan Gilligan, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Billy McKay. Subs not used: Paul Walker, Michael Jacobs, Romone Rose, Joe Benjamin.

* Cobley, Desborough & Co man of the match

Macclesfield: Jon Brain, Carl Tremarco, Paul Morgan, Ross Draper, Emile Sinclair (sub Isaac Reid 59), Ben Wright, John Rooney (sub Matthew Tipton 82), Paul Bolland, Shaun Brisley, Colin Daniel, Hamza Bencherif. Subs not used: Lee Bell, Kyle Wilson, Jose Viega, Tyrone Kirk, Matthew Flynn.

Referee: Mr G Ward

Booked:
Cobblers: Adebayo Akinfenwa (18, 1st of the season), Alex Dyer (55, 1st), Paul Rodgers (61, 1st)
Macclesfield: Paul Bolland (80)

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:
Cobblers: none
Macclesfield: 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.

Glorious weather greeted the arrival of the 2009/10 season, and Cobblers boss Stuart Gray handed debuts to a number of summer signings as his new look Cobblers side kicked off against Macclesfield Town. Craig Hinton, Chris McCready, Dean Beckwith, Ben Marshall and Billy McKay were all included from the start, with Romone Rose, Paul Rodgers and Steve Guinan on the bench. Liam Davis (metatarsal), Luke Guttridge (knee), John Curtis (thigh), Gary Mulligan (ankle) and Danny Jackman (knee) were unavailable because of injury, while the club are awaiting international clearance for Seb Harris.

After a pre-match tribute to Tommy Fowler, John Gardner BEM and Sir Bobby Robson, the game started with the Cobblers on the attack. An early free kick routine, awarded after a foul on Adebayo Akinfenwa didn't quite come off and then Abdul Osman fired over from the edge of the area following a half cleared corner.

A 16th minute free kick from Ben Marshall was met by Dean Beckwith but the Cobblers defender saw his effort cleared off the line with the keeper beaten. Adebayo Akinfenwa then picked up his first caution of the season for a foul on Hamza Bencherif. The Cobblers striker was back in action soon afterwards, and he tested Jon Brain in the Macclesfield goal with a shot on the turn.

Marshall headed a 26th minute cross from Craig Hinton just wide of the far post, before the visitors had their first effort at goal, Shaun Brisley heading against the top of the cross bar from a 29th minute corner, their first flag kick of the game.

Macc were even closer a minute later, Colin Daniel latching onto a through ball and sending in a curling shot that hit the outside angle of post and bar, while for the Cobblers Akinfenwa's shot was held by the Macclesfield keeper.

Brain was forced to dive to his right to push away Alex Dyer's 39th minute drive, before Marshall's skidding effort was bundled away for a corner by the keeper. A surging run from the impressive loanee then opened up a chance for Billy McKay but his shot was off target.

Alex Dyer picked up a 55th minute booking after catching Ross Draper, the resulting free kick from John Rooney was deflected over the bar by the Cobblers wall. Rooney then flashed a drive wide of the far post.

The first change of the game saw Isaac Reid replace Emile Sinclair for the visitors, while for the Cobblers Paul Rodgers came on for Dyer. The new Cobblers signing earned himself an early booking for fouling Reid.

Akinfenwa was denied on 70 minutes when Brain went full length to tip away his drive from the edge of the area, before an audacious effort from Rooney, trying a dipping first time effort from inside his own half, had Chris Dunn rushing back to cover, the ball dropping just over the bar.

The persistence of Billy McKay created an opportunity in stoppage time, but from an acute angle Steve Guinan sent the ball beyond the far post, as the points were shared.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (6) 9
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (10) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1

MACCLESFIELD MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 10
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (7) 15
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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