SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Saturday December 16th, 3.00pm
Brunton Park

CARLISLE UNITED 2
Jack Armer 67
Ryan Edmondson 81

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Shaun McWilliams 30
Kieron Bowie 90

Attendance: 6,744 (371 Cobblers fans)

Carlisle: Tomas Holy, Jack Armer, Sam Lavelle, Jordan Gibson, Alfie McCalmont, Joe Garner (sub Ryan Edmondson 64), Jack Robinson, Dylan McGeouch (sub Sean Maguire 87), Jon Mellish, Luke Plange, Joshua Emmanuel
Subs not used: Gabe Breeze, Dan Butterworth, Corey Whelan, Ben Barclay, Aran Fitzpatrick

Cobblers: Max Thompson, Akin Odimayo (sub Aaron McGowan 75), Sam Sherring, Jon Guthrie (sub Jordan Willis 86), Patrick Brough, Jack Sowerby, Shaun McWilliams (sub Tyreece Simpson 86), Marc Leonard, Sam Hoskins, Kieron Bowie, Mitch Pinnock
Subs not used: James Dadge, Will Hondermarck, Ryan Haynes, Manny Monthe

Referee: Daniel Middleton

Booked:
Carlisle: none
Cobblers: Patrick Brough (34), Kieron Bowie (69)

Sent off:
Carlisle: none
Cobblers: none

Northampton Town made the long trip to Brunton Park to face Carlisle United. Jon Brady named an unchanged starting XI, although the fit again Aaron McGowan returned to the bench, replacing the unavailable Louis Appere.

On a windy and damp pre Christmas afternoon in Cumbria, Jon Guthrie had the first effort at goal of the afternoon, but his first minute header from a Marc Leonard free kick was off target.

The Cobblers were playing into a strong wind in the first half, and the home side had their first opportunity after ten minutes, Max Thompson tipping away a shot across goal from Alfie McCalmont. Shortly afterwards Luke Plange shot over the bar from the edge of the area.

Shaun McWilliams gave the Cobblers the lead with half an hour played. The midfielder was released down the left by a superb Kieron Bowie pass, McWilliams took the ball into the area before his shot, via a deflection, squeezed beyond Tomas Holy and into the net at the near post to give Northampton Town a narrow half time lead.

Thompson tipped a curling long range effort from Jordan Gibson over the bar in the early exchanges of the second half, while Jack Robinson kissed the top of the cross bar with a shot from just outside the area moments later.

Leonard tested the palms of Holy on 52 minutes, before the Carlisle keeper turned away a header from Sam Hoskins.

The home side were level on 67 minutes, Jack Armer with a lofted finish inside the far post from 18 yards.

Aaron McGowan replaced Akin Odimayo in Jon Brady’s first change of the afternoon, but soon afterwards United took the lead, Ryan Edmondson heading home a corner.

Hoskins had penalty appeals turned down with six minutes to play, before a double Cobblers change saw Jordan Willis and Tyreece Simpson come on for Jon Guthrie and Shaun McWilliams.

Bowie was off target with a long range effort as five additional minutes were indicated, and in the third of those five minutes, Kieron Bowie drove home a powerful low finish from a Patrick Brough cross to ensure the points were shared.

CARLISLE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 5
CORNERS: (4) 10
FOULS: (1) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (2) 2
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0