SKY BET LEAGUE 2      
Saturday March 30th, 3.00pm      
PTS Academy Stadium

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Sam Hoskins 5

PORT VALE 2
David Worrall 44
Tom Pope 75

Attendance: 5,651 (400 away supporters)

Cobblers: David Cornell, Charlie Goode, Ash Taylor, Aaron Pierre, David Buchanan, Sam Hoskins (sub John-Joe O'Toole 73), Shaun McWilliams (sub Timi Elsnik 55), Sam Foley, Jack Bridge, Andy Williams (sub Dean Bowditch 56), Marvin Sordell
Subs not used: Luke Coddington, Daniel Powell, Shay Facey, Joe Powell
 
Port Vale: Scott Brown, Luke Joyce, Leon Legge, David Worrall, Emmanuel Oyeleke, Ricky Miller (sub Tom Pope 72), Luke Hannant (sub Kyle Howkins 45), Adam Crookes, Nathan Smith, Tom Conlon (sub Cristian Montano 65), Mitchell Clark
Subs not used: Antony Kay, Sam Hornby, Theo Vassell, Ben Whitfield

Referee: Neil Hair

Booked:
Cobblers: Sam Foley (54, 6th of the season)  
Port Vale: none

  
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Cobblers: none      
Port Vale: Leon Legge (42)

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.

Marvin Sordell, Shaun McWilliams, Jack Bridge and Aaron Pierre, back from international duty with Grenada, all came into the side as boss Keith Curle made four changes for the clash against Port Vale.

It was a sunny spring afternoon at the PTS Academy Stadium with a good crowd in attendance for the club’s Community Day.

The Cobblers started brightly and took the lead inside five minutes, a well-worked short corner and a tantalising cross in from Jack Bridge leading to a header blocked in the box before a deft close range finish from Sam Hoskins.

Tom Conlon had the first effort of note for Vale while Hoskins went close to a second from Ash Taylor’s header back across goal and Bridge shot wide after a neat interchange with Marvin Sordell.

Ricky Miller just failed to connect with a ball across the six-yard box in a moment of danger for the Cobblers but soon after Vale were down to ten men, Leon Legge shown a straight red card for bringing down Andy Williams who was clear on goal.

Vale were however back on level terms before the break, David Worrall finding the bottom corner when one on one with David Cornell after embarking on a forward run from the half-way line.

There was action at both ends in a fast start to the second half, Hoskins having a shot blocked behind for a corner while Ricky Miller had a couple of off-target efforts for Vale with the game becoming a little stretched. Timi Elsnik and Dean Bowditch came on in a double change before a good ball in from Sordell just eluded Hoskins.

Tom Pope came on for Port Vale and John-Joe O’Toole replaced Hoskins as both sides made their third and final change and Vale’s leading goalscorer Pope was to make an immediate impact, scoring from the penalty spot despite the best efforts of David Cornell. Referee Neil Hair made the penalty decision following a challenge from Charlie Goode inside the area, pointing to the spot despite the Cobblers defender’s protestations.

Elsnik drew a comfortable save from Scott Brown and also had a shot blocked at close range in a couple of half chances for the Cobblers but they were unable to find an equaliser and it was Port Vale who claimed the three points.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 2 
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 7
CORNERS: (4) 6           
FOULS: (5) 12         
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0 

PORT VALE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)      
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5 
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5 
CORNERS: (1) 5
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3 

SCRATCH CARD GOAL TIMES: 04:23, 43:50, 74:42