SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Monday January 1st, 3.00pm       
Sixfields

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

WIGAN ATHLETIC 1
Nick Powell 5

Attendance: 5,328 (511 away fans)

Cobblers: Matt Ingram, Brendan Moloney, George Smith, Ash Taylor, Regan Poole, Sam Foley, Matt Crooks (sub John-Joe O'Toole 61), Matt Grimes, Shaun McWilliams (sub Sam Hoskins 73), Daniel Powell (sub Marc Richards 84), Chris Long
Subs not used: David Cornell, David Buchanan, Billy Waters, Lewis McGugan

Wigan: Christian Walton, Nathan Byrne, Sam Morsy, Lee Evans, Will Grigg (sub David Perkins 85), Gavin Massey (sub Max Power 71), Michael Jacobs, Chey Dunkley, Nick Powell (sub Ivan Toney 71), Reece James, Dan Burn
Subs not used: Alex Bruce, Gary Roberts, Noel Hunt, Matija Sarkic

Referee: Scott Oldham

Booked:
Cobblers: Matt Crooks (24, 4th of the season), Matt Grimes (76, 7th)
Wigan: Michael Jacobs (69)

10 cautions on or before 37 games; 2 match suspension       
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Cobblers: none   
Wigan: none

Sendings off: 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. 

The Cobblers kicked off 2018 with a home game against league leaders Wigan Athletic. Boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made four changes to the side with Daniel Powell, Sam Foley, Shaun McWilliams and George Smith replacing Lewis McGugan, Sam Hoskins, John-Joe O’Toole and David Buchanan. Michael Jacobs started for Wigan with another ex-Cobbler, Ivan Toney, on the bench for the Latics.

Christian Walton saved an early effort from McWilliams after some good footwork from the Cobblers youngster but it was the visitors who took the lead on 5 minutes, Nick Powell on the end of a right-wing cross to head home from close range.

Will Grigg looked set to double Wigan’s lead only to be denied by a last-ditch challenge from Brendan Moloney. From the subsequent corner Chey Dunkley struck the crossbar with Matt Ingram saving Nick Powell’s header from the rebound. Daniel Powell then went close to an equaliser, his deflected shot whistling just wide of Walton’s upright.

Chris Long shot just wide before McWilliams tested Walton with a lobbed effort from distance at the start of the second half while at the other end Grigg Headed wide.

John-Joe O’Toole came on for Matt Crooks in the Cobblers first change of the afternoon before Moloney fired over from a tight angle after a neat counter-attacking move from the home side.

A deflected free-kick from Ivan Toney was saved by Matt Ingram to keep the Cobblers in it and although they continued to battle hard in the closing stages they couldn’t find an equaliser.

 COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 4
CORNERS: (2) 3          
FOULS: (8) 16       
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2

WIGAN MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)       
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 3
CORNERS: (4) 5
FOULS: (7) 18
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 2