SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Saturday March 23rd, 3.00pm
Sixfields

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Sam Hoskins 23

DERBY COUNTY 0

Attendance: 7,679 (1,463 away fans)

Cobblers: Louie Moulden, Aaron McGowan (sub Will Hondermarck 59), Liam Moore (sub Ali Koiki 88), Sam Sherring, Manny Monthe, Marc Leonard, Jack Sowerby, Ben Fox (sub Shaun McWilliams 88), Sam Hoskins (sub Tyreece Simpson 88), Louis Appere (sub Kieron Bowie 88), Mitch Pinnock
Subs not used: James Dadge, Dominic Gape

Derby: Joe Wildsmith, Kane Wilson, Conor Hourihane, Sonny Bradley, Eiran Cashin, Martyn Waghorn (sub Conor Washington 68), Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (sub Joe Ward 68), Liam Thompson (sub Corey Blackett-Taylor 64), Louie Sibley (sub Callum Elder 63), Ebou Adams (sub Korey Smith 64), Curtis Nelson
Subs not used: Scott Loach, Ben Radcliffe

Referee: Scott Oldham

Booked:
Cobblers: Mitch Pinnock (14), Marc Leonard (66)
Derby: Louie Sibley (45), Erin Cashin (50)

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Derby: Sonny Bradley (90)

Sam Hoskins, Louis Appere, Ben Fox and Aaron McGowan all came into the Northampton Town side as boss Jon Brady made four changes for the visit of promotion chasing Derby County. Jon Guthrie missed out through injury with McGowan captaining the side in his absence. Tony Springett was away on international duty but Ali Koiki was back on the bench after a lengthy injury layoff.

Jack Sowerby made an important block to deny Liam Thompson and Martyn Waghorn blazed a shot over the bar as the game reached the 20-minute mark.

It was the Cobblers though who broke the deadlock midway through the first half, Sam Hoskins finding the bottom corner with a terrific side-foot volley at the back post. The goal came from a pin-point cross from Louis Appere who was making his 100th appearance for the club.

A goal-line clearance from Sam Sherring denied Derby an almost immediate equaliser with Ebou Adams also spurning a good chance, his header from six-yards out failing to find the target. The Cobblers weren’t sitting on their lead and Marc Leonard let fly from distance after a good passage of play from the home side.

Hoskins dragged a shot wide and Manny Monthe rattled the post with a sublime strike from range as the Cobblers enjoyed a good spell of pressure as the game approached the hour-mark. Brady was then forced into a change when McGowan went down, Will Hondermarck coming on.

Conor Hourihane had a shot blocked before Callum Elder, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Korey Smith came on in a triple change for Derby.

With the game opening up referee Scott Oldham turned down a strong appeal for a Cobblers penalty for handball against Kane Wilson before another goal-line clearance from Sherring denied the Rams an equaliser.

Eiran Cashin blocked a shot from Mitch Pinnock before Brady brought on Ali Koki, Shaun McWilliams, Tyreece Simpson and Kieron Bowie for the closing stages with ten additional minutes signalled by the fourth official.

Louie Moulden made a comfortable save from Curtis Nelson midway through those ten minutes and that proved to be the last chance for Derby who had Sonny Bradley sent off for violent conduct with time almost up as the Cobblers claimed an extremely hard fought victory against the side second in Sky Bet League 1.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 6
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (5) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1

DERBY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 3
CORNERS: (3) 7
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 5