npower LEAGUE TWO
Saturday August 28th, 3pm
Sixfields

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Kevin Thornton 87 pen

Attendance: 4,202 (653 away fans)

Cobblers: Oscar Jansson, Paul Rodgers, Marcus Hall, Dean Beckwith, Andy Holt, Abdul Osman, Nathaniel Wedderburn, Kevin Thornton, Steve Guinan (sub Courtney Herbert 67), Tadhg Purcell (sub Michael Jacobs 21), Billy McKay (sub Seb Harris 82). Subs not used: Paul Walker, Liam Davis, Alex Konstantinou, Charlie Death.

Wycombe: Nikki Bull, Danny Foster, Andy Sandell, David Winfield, Leon Johnson, Gareth Ainsworth (sub Kieran Murtagh 90), Scott Rendell (sub Jon-Paul Pittman 90), Matt Bloomfield, Kevin Betsy, Ben Strevens, Lewis Montrose. Subs not used: Marvin McCoy, Stuart Beavon, Chris Westwood, Steven Arnold.

Referee: Mr C Boyeson

Booked:
Cobblers: Dean Beckwith (73, 1st of the season), Michael Jacobs (81, 1st)
Wycombe: Matt Bloomfield (61), Danny Foster (77), Scott Rendell (79), Gareth Ainsworth (84) 

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:
Cobblers: none
Wycombe: 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 Wycombe Wanderers to Sixfields for this npower League 2 game. Ian Sampson made one change to his team after the midweek Carling Cup win at Reading, with Steve Guinan replacing Courtney Herbert. Chris Dunn and Liam Davis were fit enough to be named among the substitutes.

For all the pre-match talk surrounding the Carling Cup draw that has given the Cobblers a trip to Anfield in the third round, there was a League 2 game to focus on. The first effort came from the Cobblers, a slide rule pass from Billy McKay finding Kevin Thornton in a pocket of space on the edge of the Wycombe area, but his shot was off target.

The referee awarded Wycombe a dubious fifth minute free kick just outside the area, adjudging a foul against Abdul Osman. Andy Sandell curled his left footed effort against the outside of the post. Moments later Dean Beckwith made a good block from Scott Rendell.

Steve Guinan held the ball up well in the 12th minute and although his shot on the turn was blocked, the ball ran to McKay, whose dipping volley was tipped over the bar by Nikki Bull in the Wycombe goal. That corner was headed behind for another flag kick to the Cobblers, only for the referee to bizarrely award a goal kick!

Tadhg Purcell had to leave the field on a stretcher after having a 19th minute shot blocked at close range by David Winfield, his replacement was Michael Jacobs.

Ben Strevens had a drive deflected wide for the visitors on 33 minutes before another bizarre decision from the referee, this time for handball against Dean Beckwith after the ball bounced up and hit him, he gave Wycombe a free kick right on the edge of the area. The referee looked to his assistant to see if the incident was inside or outside the area, no decision was made by the assistant, so a free kick was awarded. Andy Sandell drove the ball home to give Wycombe the lead.

McKay shot over in the 56th minute, having picked up Guinan's lay off, while Jacobs tested Bull with a low drive moments later.

Andy Holt was up to deliver a 61st minute cross that Guinan volleyed over the bar, before Wanderers' Matt Bloomfield became the first booking of the game for diving.

Ian Sampson's second change saw Courtney Herbert replace Guinan. As play restarted after the change, Dean Beckwith lost his footing in the centre circle and that allowed Kevin Betsy to break clear of the Cobblers defence, only for Paul Rodgers to make a superb recovery to rob the Wycombe winger.

Dean Beckwith was booked for pulling Bloomfield back on 73 minutes, while the name of Danny Foster soon followed into the book for timewasting. Scott Rendell was also cautioned for kicking the ball away after the whistle had gone.

Having found nothing worth booking for an hour, there was no stopping the referee now, and Jacobs was booked for tripping Ainsworth.

Seb Harris came on for McKay in the Cobblers final change (although the substitutes board showed the number of Herbert - the officials really were having one of those days.)

Wedderburn's 84th minute corner saw Bull beat away a Thornton shot and Herbert have a drive deflected over, before Gareth Ainsworth was booked for holding back Jacobs.

The referee pointed to the penalty spot after Andy Holt was tripped in the area on 86 minutes, Kevin Thornton dispatching the spot kick.

Wycombe made a double change as the game entered stoppage time, with Kieran Murtagh and Jon-Paul Pittman replacing Scott Rendell and Gareth Ainsworth.

Both sides continued to go forward to look for a late winner, but the game ended with the points shared.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 5
CORNERS: (4) 7
FOULS: (8) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0

WYCOMBE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 8
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (6) 17
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.