PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Tuesday July 28th, 7.45pm
Sixfields

Attendance: 1,912 (816 away fans)

Cobblers: Chris DUNN, Craig HINTON, Chris McCREADY, Dean BECKWITH, Danny JACKMAN, Luke GUTTRIDGE (sub Gary MULLIGAN 64), Alex DYER (sub John CURTIS 65), Abdul OSMAN (sub Ryan GILLIGAN 73), Liam DAVIS (sub Andy HOLT 30), Adebayo AKINFENWA (sub Michael JACOBS 77), Billy McKAY 
Substitutes not used: Paul WALKER, Joe BENJAMIN, Paul RODGERS

Sheff Wed: Lee GRANT, Lewis BUXTON (sub Tommy SPURR 46), Richard HINDS, Francis JEFFERS (sub Vidane OLIVER 80), Akpo SODJE (sub Marcus TUDGAY 62), Mark BEEVERS (sub Richard WOOD 63), James O'CONNOR, Michael GRAY (sub Ettienne ESAYAS 62), Frank SIMEK, Luke BODEN, Jermaine JOHNSON
Substitutes not used: Callum HARRISON, Richard O'DONNELL

Referee: Mr A Woolmer

Booked:
Cobblers: none
Sheff Wed: none

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Sheff Wed: none 

Northampton Town welcomed Sheffield Wednesday to Sixfields for their final home pre-season game. Trialist Chris McCready was named in the Cobblers side by boss Stuart Gray.

On a cool late July evening, the visitors had the lead in the 4th minute, Jermaine Johnson making his way in from the left to fire home a 25 yard drive beyond Chris Dunn.

Abdul Osman forced a low save from Lee Grant as the Cobblers looked to bounce back, the midfielder shooting through a crowd of players after an initial corner had been half cleared. The visitors doubled their lead in the 19th minute though. The Cobblers defence were left appealing for offside as Francis Jeffers fired a shot under the body of the diving Chris Dunn when in space beyond the back four.

Adebayo Akinfenwa had a chance to reduce the arrears moments later but he could not find the power to beat Grant, before Billy McKay got on the end of the Cobblers best move of the match so far. Liam Davis found Danny Jackman down the left hand side in the 27th minute and he delivered a cross that the Cobblers striker headed towards goal but saw his effort drift agonisingly beyond the far post.

Davis was injured in that move, leaving the field on a stretcher to be replaced by Andy Holt. Nine minutes later, Luke Boden shot wide of the far post for Wednesday.

The first half ended with Akinfenwa heading over the bar from a Jackman cross.

The referee awarded a harsh 49th minute penalty against the Cobblers when Francis Jeffers went over the arm of Chris Dunn inside the area. The ball had run away from the Sheffield Wednesday striker before he went to ground, but the referee felt there was enough contact to award the spot kick. Chris Dunn righted the apparent injustice, making a superb diving stop to beat away the powerful penalty from Jeffers himself.

The Cobblers hand penalty appeals of their own turned down moments later when Richard Hinds put an arm in the face of Billy McKay, before an Andy Holt long throw caused problems for the Wednesday defence, Abdul Osman heading just wide.

Billy McKay volleyed off target with a first time effort on 71 minutes, before a flowing 84th minute move saw Gary Mulligan deliver a deep cross for Michael Jacobs, the youth teamer sending in a shot that Grant tipped over the bar.

That was the final action of note as the Owls ran out 2-0 winners.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (5) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2

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