SKY BET LEAGUE 2       
Saturday September 22nd, 3.00pm      
PTS Academy Stadium

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

NOTTS COUNTY 0

Attendance: 4,935 (640 away supporters)

Cobblers: David Cornell, Hakeem Odoffin, David Buchanan, Ash Taylor, Leon Barnett, Sam Hoskins, Matt Crooks, Sam Foley, Dean Bowditch (sub Jack Bridge 78), John-Joe O’Toole, Kevin van Veen
Subs not used: Lewis Ward, Shay Facey, Jordan Turnbull, Andy Williams, Billy Waters, Shaun McWilliams
 
Notts County: Ross Fitzsimons, Matt Tootle, Lewis Alessandra, Enzio Boldewijn (sub Sam Osborne 89), Kane Hemmings, Noor Husin (sub Elliott Hewitt 63), Elliott Ward, Rob Milsom, Cedric Evina, Jamie Turley, Jon Stead
Subs not used: Kristian Dennis, Branislav Pindroch, Shaun Brisley, Terry Hawkridge, Keston Davies

Referee: Paul Marsden

Booked:
Cobblers: Ash Taylor (21, 1st of the season), Matt Crooks (63, 3rd), Kevin van Veen (80, 1st)
Notts County: Jamie Turley (36), Elliott Hewitt (73)

5 cautions on or before 19 games; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 32 games; 2 match suspension       
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Cobblers: none      
Notts County: 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.

Leon Barnett replaced the suspended Aaron Pierre at centre-half while Hakeem Odoffin, Dean Bowditch and John-Joe O’Toole also all came into the side as boss Dean Austin made four changes for the visit of Notts County to the PTS Academy Stadium. Shaun McWilliams was back on the bench after recovering from a foot injury.

O’Toole headed over in a high tempo first few minutes from the Cobblers while Lewis Alessandra fired over for County. Bowditch created an opening for Matt Crooks midway through the first half and it needed a good save from Ross Fitzsimons to maintain the equilibrium.

The Cobblers were pressing but O’Toole couldn’t direct his header either side of Fitzsimons before Kane Hemmings headed over following a County counter-attack. Jon Stead also had a chance just before half-time but the experienced striker failed to work David Cornell in the Cobblers goal.

Cornell had to punch away a deflected Alessandra effort at the start of the second half and David Buchanan fired wide after the ball was played back to him by Kevin van Veen. The atmosphere was tense with the game still very much in the balance.

Hemmings unleashed a shot that needed a strong hand from Cornell to turn the ball behind for a corner. O’Toole then went agonisingly close with a header that landed on the roof of the net, Fitzsimons getting the faintest of touches. Barnett headed wide from the subsequent corner as Jack Bridge came on for Bowditch.

Barnett was denied by a good save from Fitzsimons from another Cobblers corner while some good work from Sam Hoskins nearly lead to an own goal by Matt Tootle. Four minutes of injury time were added on but neither side could make the breakthrough and the game ended goalless despite some late penalty appeals from County and van Veen firing a shot wide on the angle.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 8  
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 9
CORNERS: (2) 6          
FOULS: (8) 14        
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3  

NOTTS COUNTY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)      
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 7 
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 5 
CORNERS: (2) 5
FOULS: (7) 13
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2 

SCRATCH CARD GOAL TIME(S): NO GOALS SCORED