SKY BET LEAGUE 2      
Saturday January 28th, 3.00pm      
SO Legal Stadium

BARROW 0

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Ben Fox 54
Shaun McWilliams 85

Attendance: 3,002 (223 Cobblers fans)

Barrow: Paul Farman, Patrick Brough, Niall Canavan, Billy Waters (sub Josh Kay 61), Josh Gordon (sub Richie Bennett 75), Tom White, Harrison Neal (sub Sam Foley 68), Robbie Gotts (sub jake Young 75), Tyrell Warren, George Ray, Ben Whitfield (sub Elliot Newby 69)
Subs not used: Josh Lillis
 
Cobblers: Tom King, Akin Odimayo, Sam Sherring, Jon Guthrie, Ali Koiki (sub Harvey Lintott 90), Marc Leonard (sub Tyler Magloire 80), Jack Sowerby, Ben Fox, Sam Hoskins (sub Josh Harrop 90), Mitch Pinnock (sub Shaun McWilliams 71), Louis Appere (sub Josh Eppiah 90)
Subs not used: Jonny Maxted, Max Dyche

Referee: Darren Drysdale

Booked:
Barrow: Sam Foley (90)
Cobblers: Marc Leonard (34), Tyler Magloire (89)

Sent off:
Barrow: none      
Cobblers: none

There was some mixed news on the injury front for boss Jon Brady as the Cobblers returned to action at Barrow following an enforced two week break due to the January cold snap.

Skipper Jon Guthrie returned from illness and Ali Koiki was back in the starting XI for the first time in nearly three months while Shaun McWilliams and Tyler Magloire were both back on the bench following hamstring lay-offs. Brady was still without a number of players however with Kieron Bowie, Danny Hylton and Ryan Haynes joining Lee Burge and Aaron McGowan on the sidelines. New signing Will Hondermarck was not quite yet ready to feature.

After a tight opening quarter of an hour, a slick Cobblers move lead to Sam Hoskins drawing the first save of the game from Paul Farman. Clear cut chances for either side were at a premium in the first half but with half-time approaching, Hoskins had a shot blocked at close range following a ball into the box from Koiki.

Koiki, fed in by Marc Leonard, fired over on the stretch at the start of the second half and it was the Cobblers who made the breakthrough on 54 minutes, Ben Fox providing the finishing touch to Hoskins free kick, Louis Appere getting the initial flick-on.

Josh Kay replaced former Cobbler Billy Waters in Barrow’s first change before a vital interception from Tyrell Warren denied Hoskins who was in on goal. Barrow then brought on Elliot Newby and former Cobblers midfielder Sam Foley in a double change midway through the second half.

Mitch Pinnock made way for Shaun McWilliams in Brady’s first change while Tyler Magloire came on for Marc Leonard with the Fulham loanee on a yellow card

McWilliams doubled the Cobblers lead with five minutes of normal time to play, the substitute following-up after Farman had made a good initial save from Hoskins.

Josh Harrop, Josh Eppiah and Harvey Lintott came on in a triple change, Harrop making his Cobblers debut as Jon Brady’s side saw out seven minutes of stoppage time to close out the victory.

BARROW MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 1
CORNERS: (1) 3       
FOULS: (2) 11       
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 4

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)      
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2)  6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 2
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (8) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 5