SKY BET LEAGUE 2      
Saturday February 25th, 3.00pm      
Jobserve Community Stadium

COLCHESTER UNITED 0

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Louis Appere 41

Attendance: 3,730 (655 Cobblers fans)

Colchester: Kieran O’Hara, Will Greenidge, Tommy Smith (sub Alex Newby 85), Kwesi Appiah (sub John Akinde 59), Noah Chilvers, Fiacre Kelleher (sub Jayden Fevrier 59), Arthur Read, Matt Jay (sub Samson Tovide 68), Connor Wood, Tom Hopper, Connor Hall
Subs not used: Tom Smith, Ossama Ashley, Oscar Thorn
 
Cobblers: Tom King, Harvey Lintott, Sam Sherring, Jon Guthrie, Tyler Magloire (sub Aaron McGowan 35), Ali Koiki, Marc Leonard, Jack Sowerby, Shaun McWilliams (sub Will Hondermarck 46), Sam Hoskins, (sub Josh Eppiah 90) Louis Appere (sub Mitch Pinnock 90)
Subs not used: Lee Burge, D’Margio Wright-Phillips, Tete Yengi

Referee: Sunny Gill

Booked:
Colchester: Fiacre Kelleher (20), Arthur Read (80), Samson Tovide (84)
Cobblers: Marc Leonard (30), Tyler Magloire (35), Aaron McGowan (38), Sam Hoskins (73), Tom King (90)

Sent off:
Colchester: none      
Cobblers: none

Shaun McWilliams came in for Mitch Pinnock in the only change made by Jon Brady for the trip to Colchester United. Lee Burge was back on the bench following an injury lay-off.

Already without Ben Fox, Kieron Bowie, Danny Hylton, Akin Odimayo, Ryan Haynes and Josh Harrop, Jon Brady was dealt a further injury blow half an hour into the contest when Tyler Magloire had to be replaced by Aaron McGowan.

In a first half of very few chances the Cobblers made the breakthrough on 41 minutes, Louis Appere scoring from close range after Colchester failed to clear a Marc Leonard corner.

Appere then went close to bagging a second in similar fashion from another corner in first half stoppage time but his shot went wide.

Will Hondermarck replaced McWilliams for the second half but it was the first half substitute McGowan who made a terrific tackle to deny Kwesi Appiah a clear strike on goal.

Goalscorer Appere, Ali Koiki and Sam Hoskins were all denied by close range blocks as the Cobblers again threatened from a corner while Hondermarck saw a shot cleared off the line by Connor Hall after an initial save from Kieran O’Hara to keep out Appere.

The game was really opening up in the second half and Tom King made a terrific save to deny U’s substitute John Akinde.

With the 90 minutes nearly up Colchester had a huge chance to equalise but Tom Hopper headed wide from a Noah Chilvers cross and that moment proved pivotal as the Cobblers sealed a 1-0 victory, Jack Sowerby almost adding a second deep in stoppage time only for O’Hara to pull off a terrific save.

COLCHESTER MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 2
CORNERS: (5) 6       
FOULS: (4) 10       
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 0

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)      
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1)  4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (7) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1