SKY BET LEAGUE 2     
Saturday April 1st, 3.00pm
Sixfields

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Louis Appere 6

STEVENAGE 1
Jamie Reid 72

Attendance: 7,759 (956 away supporters)

Cobblers: Lee Burge, Harvey Lintott, Aaron McGowan, Jon Guthrie, Ryan Haynes (sub Paul Osew 90), Marc Leonard, Jack Sowerby (sub Will Hondermarck 46), Mitch Pinnock, Sam Hoskins (sub Akin Odimayo 58), Louis Appere, Kieron Bowie (sub Tete Yengi 77)
Subs not used: Tom King, David Norman, D’Margio Wright-Phillips
 
Stevenage: Jon McCracken, Luther Wildin, Max Clark, Jake Reeves (sub Danny Rose 46), Carl Piergianni, Dan Sweeney, Luke Norris (sub Jamie Reid 70), Dean Campbell (sub Jake Forster-Caskey 46), Jordan Roberts (sub Jake Taylor 90), Terence Vancooten (sub Michael Bostwick 70), Alex Gilbey
Subs not used: Daryl Horgan, Adam Pryzbek

Referee: Simon Mather

Booked:
Cobblers: Jon Guthrie (60), Mitch Pinnock (75), Will Hondermarck (83), Akin Odimayo (90), Tete Yengi (90)
Stevenage: Jon McCracken (13), Dean Campbell (19), Danny Rose (86)

Sent off:
Cobblers: none      
Stevenage: none

Northampton Town took on Stevenage at Sixfields. The Cobblers went into the game second in Sky Bet League 2, one place and two points above Stevenage who do have a game in hand.

Jon Brady, still without a number of players due to injury, made one change to the starting XI with Kieron Bowie coming in for Will Hondermarck. Akin Odimayo was back on the bench.

The Cobblers started very much on the front foot and took an early lead when Louis Appere found the bottom corner from 12-yards. The goal came from a long throw and was just rewards for Town’s fast start in front of a noisy Sixfields crowd.

Stevenage goalkeeper Jon McCracken was booked for bringing down Appere just outside the area and he was joined in the referee’s notebook by Dean Campbell who was shown a yellow card for a foul on Sam Hoskins.

Appere headed just wide from a cross in from Bowie as the Cobblers went close to a second goal while the closest Stevenage came in the first half was from a corner but Carl Piergianni’s header was off-target. The first half ended with McCracken turning behind a Bowie shot from distance.

Will Hondermarck replaced Jack Sowerby for the second half while former Cobblers striker Danny Rose came on in a double change for Stevenage.

Ryan Haynes fired into the side netting after being played in by Hondermarck and Mitch Pinnock also went close as the Cobblers looked to double their lead. With the game approaching the hour mark Akin Odimayo came on for Hoskins as Brady switched to a back three.

The game was starting to really open up and Lee Burge made a superb save to tip over a shot from Max Clark while McCracken saved with his legs following a terrific run from Appere. Luke Norris then had a header saved by Burge and Dan Sweeney volleyed just over in a frantic few minutes.

Stevenage were enjoying a good spell of pressure and Danny Rose headed against the cross bar from a corner as the visitors pressed hard for an equaliser which they got soon after, substitute Jamie Reid firing in a shot off the post.

Aaron McGowan made an important block to deny goalscorer Reid the chance of a second but the Cobblers managed the remainder of the time well to ensure a point apiece following a hard fought battle between two promotion contenders.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 6
CORNERS: (2) 3         
FOULS: (8) 17       
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1

STEVENAGE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)      
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5 
CORNERS: (1) 5
FOULS: (5) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 2