SKY BET LEAGUE 2      
Saturday February 26th, 3.00pm
Crown Oil Arena

ROCHDALE 1
Tahvon Campbell 53

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Attendance: 2,643 (444 Cobblers fans)

Rochdale: Jay Lynch, Max Taylor, Eoghan O'Connell, James Ball (sub Stephen Dooley 46), Alex Newby (sub Conor Grant 83), Jeriel Dorsett, Jimmy Keohane, Matty Done (sub Corey O'Keeffe 75), Liam Kelly, Max Clark, Tahvon Campbell (sub Luke Charman 87)
Subs not used: Joel Coleman, Jimmy McNulty, George Broadbent
 
Cobblers: Liam Roberts, Aaron McGowan (sub Louis Appere 55), Tyler Magloire (sub Joseph Mills 74), Fraser Horsfall, Jon Guthrie, Ali Koiki (sub Beryly Lubala 75), Paul Lewis, Shaun McWilliams, Mitch Pinnock, Sam Hoskins, Josh Eppiah (sub Benny Ashley-Seal 55)
Subs not used: Jonny Maxted, Danny Rose, Peter Abimbola

Referee: Ollie Yates

Booked:
Rochdale: none
Cobblers: Joseph Mills (78, 1st of the season), Beryly Lubala (88, 2nd)

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

Sent off:
Rochdale: none      
Cobblers: 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.

Josh Eppiah and Shaun McWilliams, the latter back from suspension, came into the side for the trip to Rochdale, replacing Danny Rose and Beryly Lubala. Louis Appere was named on the bench after missing the midweek game at Scunthorpe through injury.

Alex Newby had a shot blocked and Paul Lewis just failed to get on the end of a flashed ball across the box from Eppiah in the opening exchanges.

In a bitty first half, Liam Roberts made a fantastic save to prevent Jimmy Keohane putting Rochdale in front with Newby failing to find the target on the follow-up. Jon Guthrie then shot wide from 20-yards after making a good forward run into the visitors half.

Tahvon Campbell broke the deadlock on 53 minutes, poking home from close range after the Cobblers failed to clear Newby’s cross. It was the first goal conceded by the Cobblers in over nine hours and Jon Brady reacted by bringing on Benny Ashley-Seal and Louis Appere in a double change, Eppiah and Aaron McGowan making way.

Liam Kelly fired over as Dale spurned a chance to double their lead midway through the second half and with just over fifteen minutes to play Beryly Lubala and Joseph Mills came on for Tyler Magloire and Ali Koiki, the Cobblers permitted an extra substitution due to Rochdale having made a concussion sub at half-time.

Jay Lynch saved a deflected long-range effort from Guthrie as the clock ticked towards 90 but it was Dale who nearly scored in stoppage time, Mills making an important block to deny Corey O'Keeffe.

One goal was enough for Dale in the end though as the home side claimed all three points.

ROCHDALE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 4
CORNERS: (5) 9       
FOULS: (4) 10       
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2

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