FA CUP FIRST ROUND
Saturday November 7th, 3pm
Sixfields

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NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Luke Guttridge 29 and 61

FLEETWOOD TOWN 1
Sean Clancy 41

Attendance: 3,077 (436 away fans)

Cobblers: Chris Dunn, John Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Craig Hinton, Dean Beckwith, John Curtis, Luke Guttridge* (sub Liam Davis 78), Ryan Gilligan, Andy Holt, Steve Guinan, Adebayo Akinfenwa. Subs not used: Simon Brown, Patrick Kanyuka, Alex Dyer, Gary Mulligan, Billy McKay, Chris McCready.

* Send out cards man of the match

Fleetwood: Danny Hurst, Shaun Beeley, Alan Wright, Michael Taylor, Steve McNulty, Nathan Pond, Sean Clancy, Jamie Milligan, Michael Wilde (sub Tom Cahill 85), Gareth Seddon, Jamie Mullan. Subs not used: Lee Dodgson, Aaron Grundy, Jamie McGuire, John Hills, Nick Rogan, Michael Hall.

Referee: Mr R Madley

Booked:
Cobblers: Dean Beckwith (22, 1st of the season), Adebayo Akinfenwa (63, 2nd)
Fleetwood: Alan Wright (55), Michael Taylor (60) 

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
Fleetwood: 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 welcomed Fleetwood Town for this FA Cup first round tie. Ian Sampson made one change to his team, bringing the fit again Dean Beckwith back into the side in place of Chris McCready.

After two poignant Remembrance Day ceremonies, one held at the Walter Tull memorial and one staged inside the stadium immediately before kick off, the game began on a bright and crisp November afternoon.

An early Ryan Gilligan cross had Danny Hurst worried for a moment, while for Fleetwood an Alan Wright free kick skimmed off the head of Dean Beckwith and Chris Dunn had to tip the ball away for a corner.

The visitors also went close on 14 minutes, Nathan Pond heading a Jamie Milligan free kick just wide, before a bizarre moment on 18 minutes. The ball clearly went out of play but the assistant referee allowed play to continue and Gareth Seddon headed narrowly over from a Milligan cross.

Dean Beckwith went into the book on 22 minutes for a foul on Seddon, while John Curtis curled wide on 24 minutes for the Cobblers.

Ian Sampson's side had the lead on 29 minutes. The referee played advantage after Ryan Gilligan had been fouled on the edge of the penalty area and John Johnson's low cross was volleyed home by Luke Guttridge. That goal seemed to settle a few nerves and Guttridge was close again moments later, driving into the side netting.

Gilligan was then also just wide, but Fleetwood fired a warning shot when Dunn was forced to save Gareth Seddon's header.

Neat football from Craig Hinton on 33 minutes created an opportunity. The skipper ran most of the length of the field before finding Akinfenwa, and his lay off was inches off target from Gilligan. A long throw from Holt was then volleyed wide by the Cobblers number 10.

The visitors were level on 41 minutes when Sean Clancy found space to drive left footed beyond Chris Dunn.

A Guttridge free kick was then just over the bar as the visitors ended the first half on level terms.

Holt was wide at the near post after linking well with Akinfenwa on 51 minutes, while for the visitors Alan Wright was booked for a tackle on Guttridge. Michael Taylor was then cautioned for hauling down Steve Guinan.

Some Luke Guttridge magic restored the Cobblers lead just after the hour mark, the midfielder fizzed a 30 yard free kick through a crowd of players and beyond an unsighted Danny Hurst.

Gareth Seddon met a Jamie Mullan cross but saw his close range effort deflected wide as the visitors looked for an immediate response. Adebayo Akinfenwa was then booked for catching Shaun Beeley.

Holt delivered a 67th minute cross that just eluded Akinfenwa, before Guttridge curled over looking for a hat-trick.

Guinan flashed a drive across the face of goal before Liam Davis came on for Guttridge.

An awful two footed challenge by Nathan Pond on Chris Dunn after the Cobblers keeper had made a fine save from Jamie Mullan led to a melee, bizarrely no cards were shown and the game restarted with a free kick to Northampton Town.

Tom Cahill replaced Michael Wilde in Fleetwood's first change and with his first touch the substitute sent a shot just wide of the post as the Cobblers struggled to clear a corner.

Despite only having had two substitutions and few stoppages, five additional minutes were added. Akinfenwa came close to sealing the game but drove over, but it did not matter and the Cobblers were through to round 2.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (8) 13
CORNERS: (0) 3
FOULS: (5) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3

FLEETWOOD MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 8
CORNERS: (2) 5
FOULS: (8) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 4

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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