NPOWER LEAGUE TWO
Saturday August 7th, 3pm
Plainmoor

TORQUAY UNITED 3
Kevin Nicholson 44, Chris Zebroski 47, Elliot Benyon 50

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Attendance: 3,567 (Torquay did not confirm the number of Cobblers fans in attendance)

Torquay: Scott Bevan, Kevin Nicholson, Mark Ellis, Chris Robertson, Lee Mansell, Elliot Benyon (sub Lloyd Macklin 83), Nicky Wroe, Danny Stevens, Martin Gritton (sub Billy Kee 63), Guy Branston, Chris Zebroski. Subs not used: Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, Danny Potter, Kieran Charnock, Damon Lathrope, Eunan O'Kane.

Cobblers: Oscar Jansson, John Johnson, Dean Beckwith, Andy Holt, Marcus Hall, Paul Rodgers (sub Michael Jacobs 46), Ryan Gilligan, Abdul Osman, Liam Davis (sub Courtney Herbert 53), Steve Guinan (sub Tadhg Purcell 67), Billy McKay. Subs not used: Paul Walker, Seb Harris, Nathaniel Wedderburn.

Referee: Mr O Langford

Booked:
Torquay: Chris Robertson (28)
Cobblers: none

5 cautions on or before 31 December; 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.

Illness deprived Northampton Town of the services of Kevin Thornton for the opening game of the season at Torquay United. The midfielder travelled south with the squad on Friday but felt unwell at the team hotel and was not involved at Plainmoor, leaving the Cobblers a player light on the bench. There were first Northampton Town appearances for Oscar Jansson, Marcus Hall and a second 'debut' for John Johnson. Fellow summer signings Tadhg Purcell and Nathaniel Wedderburn were on the bench.

The Cobblers, wearing their new white away strip, were playing against a stiff wind in the first half but they had the first shot at goal, an opportunist effort from Billy McKay that was off target. Dean Beckwith had the ball in the net on ten minutes, turning home from close range an Andy Holt header following a Gilligan free kick but the offside flag had been raised.

Chris Robertson was booked for a foul on Billy McKay on 28 minutes, but the first effort from Torquay came on 35 minutes, Chris Zebroski's drive taking a deflection off a Cobblers defender for a corner. The resulting flag kick was headed narrowly over the bar by Mark Ellis.

Good hold up play from Billy McKay fed Abdul Osman just outside the Torquay area on 38 minutes but his sweetly struck drive was held by Gulls keeper Scott Bevan at the second attempt.

The Cobblers, who had looked in good order until that point, found themselves a goal behind a minute before half time thanks to Torquay's only shot on target of the first half. Kevin Nicholson broke through on the Torquay left and made his way into the area before sending a shot beyond Jansson and into the net.

Ian Sampson made a change at half time with Michael Jacobs replacing Paul Rodgers, but just as they had conceded in the closing seconds of the first half, they did so again in the opening moments of the second period, Chris Zebroski scoring at the second attempt after Oscar Jansson had blocked his first effort.

Elliot Benyon extended the Gulls lead further on 50 minutes, latching on to a through ball to send a low finish beyond Jansson.

The second Cobblers change saw Liam Davis replaced by Courtney Herbert.

Michael Jacobs had made a bright introduction and he almost pulled a goal back on 63 minutes but his curling free kick was pushed away by Bevan at full stretch. Torquay then made a change with Billy Kee coming on for Martin Gritton.

Jacobs then rattled the cross bar with another free kick before John Johnson's cross shot was tipped over by Bevan. The Cobblers, as they had been for much of the afternoon, were on top despite the scoreline, and Beckwith's effort from a Jacobs corner was touched over by the Torquay keeper.

Tadhg Purcell came on for Guinan on 67 minutes, while Jansson touched a Kevin Nicholson free kick onto and over the bar.

Lloyd Macklin came on for Elliot Benyon on 83 minutes, while penalty appeals for a foul on Jacobs went unheeded by the referee.

That did not matter much though, and the game was already up for the Cobblers who suffered their first opening day defeat since losing to the same opposition in 2003.

TORQUAY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (5) 19
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5
CORNERS: (1) 5
FOULS: (4) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2

The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.