SKY BET LEAGUE 2      
Saturday October 12th, 3.00pm      
Sands Venue Stadium

SCUNTHORPE UNITED 3
Lee Novak 11, 15
Kevin van Veen 31

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Attendance: 3,377 (number of Cobblers fans not confirmed)

Scunthorpe: Rory Watson (sub Jake Eastwood 55), Kgosi Nthle, Yann Songo'o, Ryan Colclough, Kevin van Veen (sub Jamie Proctor 46), Lee Novak, Alex Gilliead, Levi Sutton (sub Regan Slater 83), Rory McArdle, Harrison McGahey, Junior Brown
Subs not used: Andy Butler, Lewis Butroid, Abo Eisa, Tom Pugh
 
Cobblers: David Cornell, Reece Hall-Johnson, Joe Martin (sub Alan McCormack 23), Charlie Goode, Scott Wharton, Jordan Turnbull (sub Andy Williams 46), Shaun McWilliams (sub Harry Smith 60), Matt Warburton, Nicky Adams, Sam Hoskins, Vadaine Oliver
Subs not used: Andrew Fisher, Michael Harriman, Chris Lines, Billy Waters

Referee: Trevor Kettle

Booked:
Scunthorpe: Ryan Colclough (34), Jamie Proctor (75)
Cobblers: none

5 cautions on or before 19 games; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 37 games; 2 match suspension       
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Scunthorpe: none      
Cobblers: Vadaine Oliver (54)

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.

Charlie Goode was back to captain the side against his former club after recovering from illness with Jordan Turnbull, suspended for the previous league game, Matt Warburton and Vadaine Oliver also named in the starting line-up. Former Cobblers striker Kevin van Veen started for Scunthorpe.

A Lee Novak header was comfortably saved by David Cornell after a quiet opening ten minutes but the Cobblers keeper was beaten soon after. A ball over the top found Novak on the edge of the area and one-on-one with Cornell, he kept his cool to put the home side in front.

Things got worse for the Cobblers when Scunthorpe doubled their lead less than five minutes later, Lee Novak scoring on the follow-up after Cornell had saved van Veen’s initial header.

Joe Martin had to be replaced by Alan McCormack after picking up an injury mid way through the first half. Warburton then had a sniff at goal but after cutting inside his man, his shot from an acute angle only found the side netting. Sam Hoskins did likewise after being played in by McCormack with the Cobblers pressing for a way back into the game.

Kevin van Veen made it 3-0 just after the half hour mark, the Dutchman curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Oliver headed over from a Nicky Adams corner and Rory Watson saved a Hoskins header as Keith Curle’s side pressed for a goal before half-time, Goode also flicking a header just wide in stoppage time from another Adams corner.

Andy Williams came on for Jordan Turnbull at half-time with Scunthorpe also making a change, Jamie Proctor replacing van Veen.

Watson could only parry a shot from Williams following a good knock down from Oliver, but the latter's afternoon was ended prematurely when he was shown a straight red card by referee Trevor Kettle, after a discussion with his assistant, for a challenge on the Scunthorpe goalkeeper. The decision looked very harsh (a view backed up by video evidence) with Oliver seemingly having every right to go for the ball but the Cobblers were down to ten men.

Watson was replaced by Jake Eastwood, while Harry Smith for Shaun McWilliams was the Cobblers final change.

Despite their numerical disadvantage the Cobblers kept pressing, Williams seeing a shot deflected behind for a corner from which Smith headed wide.

Novak, looking for his hat-trick, saw his shot tipped on to the bar by Cornell late on and the game finished 3-0.

SCUNTHORPE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (0) 2       
FOULS: (3) 14        
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)      
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 6 
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 7
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (3) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 2