SKY BET LEAGUE 2      
Saturday January 18th, 3.00pm      
PTS Academy Stadium

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 4
Paul Anderson 28
Ryan Watson 45
Nicky Adams 55
Chris Lines 75

MORECAMBE 1
Adam Phillips 64 

Attendance: 4,761 (105 away supporters)

Cobblers: David Cornell, Charlie Goode, Jordan Turnbull, Scott Wharton, Sam Hoskins, Nicky Adams (sub Joe Martin 77), Chris Lines, Ryan Watson, Paul Anderson (sub Michael Harriman 69), Vadaine Oliver (sub Matt Warburton 69), Andy Williams
Subs not used: Steve Arnold, Reece Hall-Johnson, Scott Pollock, Morgan Roberts
 
Morecambe:  Mark Halstead, Alex Kenyon (sub A-Jay Leitch-Smith 65), Steven Old (sub Ritchie Sutton 37), Cole Stockton, Sam Lavelle, Carlos Mendes Gomez, George Tanner, Jordan Slew, Ryan Cooney, Adam Phillips (sub John O'Sullivan 74), Toumani Diagouraga
Subs not used: Luke Conlan, Tom Brewitt, Christoffer Mafoumbi 

Referee: Graham Salisbury

Booked:
Cobblers: none 
Morecambe: none

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

Sent off:
Cobblers: none      
Morecambe: 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.

Morecambe came to the PTs Academy Stadium at the start of a busy week for the Cobblers with an away league game at Leyton Orient in midweek and the Emirates FA Cup fourth round tie against Derby County on Friday night still to come. Vadaine Oliver started against his former club with Keith Curle naming an unchanged side.

Mark Halstead saved an early Andy Williams header and Jordan Slew dragged a shot wide in a fairly even opening fifteen minutes.

George Tanner and Cole Stockton both tested David Cornell before the Cobblers made the breakthrough, Paul Anderson, fresh from signing a contract extension at the PTS, scoring with a cross that evaded everybody including the Shrimps goalkeeper Halstead.

Morecambe were close to immediately getting back on level terms but Sam Hoskins was in the right place at the right time to clear the danger. Goalscorer Anderson then made a crucial block to deny Toumani Diagouraga with the first-half nearly up.

There was still time though for the Cobblers to double their lead before the break, Anderson’s drilled cross/shot touched home by Ryan Watson in stoppage time.

An alert Nicky Adams drove home to make it 3-0 ten minutes into the second half after keeper Halstead, under pressure from Oliver, was unable to clear a dangerous cross in from Chris Lines.

Morecambe were still in the game despite the scoreline and Adam Phillips pulled a goal back on 64 minutes, picking up the scraps after David Cornell pushed away a shot from Stockton. Anderson and Oliver then made way for Matt Warburton and Michael Harriman in a double change for the Cobblers.

Chris Lines restored the three-goal advantage and made it 4-1 with a superb volley. An Adams cross had created the goal, and he was then replaced by Joe Martin as Keith Curle made his third substitution.

There was no letting up from the home side and Hoskins, Warburton and Lines all had shots saved by Halstead in the closing stages as the Cobblers continued their winning run in 2020.

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

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

SCRATCH CARD GOAL TIMES (applies to first four goals in a game): 27:13, ADTM1, 54:38, 63:45