PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Saturday July 26th, 3.00pm
Kenilworth Road
LUTON TOWN 0
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 1,290 (81 Cobblers fans)
Luton: Dean BRILL (sub Kyle CLANCY 46), Claude GNAPKA (sub Richard JACKSON 65), Sol DAVIS (sub Jake HOWELLS 74), Robin HULBERT (sub Kevin WATSON 61), Ian ROPER (sub Asa HALL 61), George PILKINGTON (sub Alan GOODALL 38), Rossi JARVIS, Matthew SPRING, Sam PARKIN (sub Scott SINCLAIR 46), Dean MORGAN (sub DECKER 69), Stephen O'LEARY
Cobblers: Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE, Liam DAVIS (sub Andy HOLT 78), Mark HUGHES, Gabor GYEPES, Chris DOIG (sub Matthew HALLIDAY 55, trialist), Giles COKE (sub Ian HENDERSON 78), Leon CONSTANTINE, Colin LARKIN (sub Ryan GILLIGAN 60), Luke GUTTRIDGE (trialist) (sub Liam DOLMAN 68), Abdul OSMAN
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Alex DYER, Ritchie JONES, Greg TAYLOR
Referee: Mr P Miller
Booked:
Luton: none
Cobblers: none
Sent off:
Luton: none
Cobblers: none
Northampton Town made the short trip to Luton Town on a very warm July afternoon for their penultimate pre-season friendly. Former Southend United and Colchester United midfielder Luke Guttridge started the game while fellow trialist Matthew Halliday, a defender from Norwich City, was among the substitutes. Danny Jackman, who had picked up a minor knock in training, and Adebayo Akinfenwa were absentees.
Dean Morgan looked lively for the home side, and he shot wide on four minutes having been played through by Sam Parkin when the offside flag failed to go up. At the other end a weighted pass from Guttridge gave Colin Larkin a 9th minute shooting opportunity, but after skipping past a defender his effort was well blocked by the feet of Dean Brill.
Mark Bunn raced out of his area on 15 minutes to deny Matthew Spring with a block tackle, while Liam Davis forced a smart save out of Brill, the former Coventry man sending in a powerful shot having cut in from the left, the Luton keeper being forced to dive to his right to beat the ball away.
On 29 minutes Sam Parkin headed wide from a Claude Gnapka cross, before a head injury meant that Luton's George Pilkington had to leave the field to be replaced by Alan Goodall.
A curling Abdul Osman effort on 48 minutes was tipped over the bar by the substitute keeper Kyle Clancy, while from the resulting corner, swung in by Guttridge, a Mark Hughes header was beaten away.
On 54 minutes, Coke headed over the bar from a Jason Crowe cross, before the Cobblers made their first change with trialist Matthew Halliday replacing skipper Chris Doig. As the changes continued, Ryan Gilligan replaced Larkin while for Luton, Asa Hall and former Cobblers trialist Kevin Watson came on for Ian Roper and Robin Hulbert.
A stinging 65th minute drive from Liam Davis forced a diving save out of Clancy, before Hatters defender Claude Gnapka was replaced by Richard Jackson. Liam Dolman was then introduced for Guttridge.
The changes continued with Jake Howells on for Sol Davis, with Ian Henderson and Andy Holt replacing Giles Coke and Liam Davis. Howells lobbed an effort over the bar for the home side when well placed on 84 minutes.
That was the last effort of note and the latest pre-season work out ended nil-nil.
LUTON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 7
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (8) 13
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 5
CORNERS: (0) 3
FOULS: (6) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
