Northampton Town 0 Chelsea 2 - the match report
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Saturday July 28th, 3.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
CHELSEA 2
Alex Kiwomya 63, 79
Attendance: 1,527 (157 away fans)
Cobblers: Connor Roberts (trialist), John Johnson, Kelvin Langmead, Anthony Charles, Joe Widdowson, Chris Hackett, Ben Tozer, Luke Guttridge, Ishmel Demontagnac, Clive Platt, Alex Nicholls.
Substitutes: Ben Harding, Dean Snedker (youth), Adebayo Akinfenwa, Lewis Wilson, Lewis Hornby, Jake Robinson, Paul Turnbull, Jordan Chambers (youth), Harry Mattock (youth).
Chelsea: Sam Walker, Todd Kane, Alexander Davey, Nathan Ake, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Conor Clifford, Lewis Baker, George Saville, Patrick Bamford, Billy Clifford, Adam Phillip.
Substitues: Archange Nkumu, Alex Kiwoyma, John Swift, Adam Nditi, Reuben Loftus-Cheek.
Referee: Mr A Woolmer
Booked:
Cobblers: none
Chelsea: George Saville, Aziz Deen-Conteh
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Chelsea: none
Northampton Town welcomed a Chelsea Under 21 side to Sixfields in their first home pre-season fixture of the summer.
It was Chelsea who began the game brightly with an urgency about their game, keeping the ball well and working Cobblers hard off the ball.
The first opening of the game was on 17 minutes, when Ishmel Demontagnac saw his volley deflected wide after a Ben Tozer throw arrived at his feet from a Clive Platt knock down.
Two minutes later Chelsea looked to create their first chance of the game when Adam Phillip went on a mazy run, taking the ball past a couple of Cobblers defenders, only to send his shot over the bar.
As the half progressed the Cobblers began to impose themselves on the game, putting in some tempting crosses that were defended well by the Chelsea defence.
Clive Platt’s header on 24 minutes was saved by Sam Walker as the Cobblers number 9 looked to nod home a fine Chris Hackett cross.
Patrick Bamford and Adam Phillip Chelsea linked up well for Chelsea, playing a neat one two to put Phillip in on goal. His low drive from close range was saved well by trialist goalkeeper Connor Roberts who closed down the angle smartly.
Clive Platt and Alex Nicholls combined 5 minutes later when Chris Hackett floated in a cross to Platt. He rose above his marker and knocked a header into the path of Nicholls, only for the former Walsall man to see his header go straight into the hands of Sam Walker.
Chelsea didn’t sit back and immediately went up the other end and saw a Lewis Baker shot sail just wide from 20 yards out.
Both sides looked to open the scoring, each going close on a couple of further occasions, but they finished the first half level at 0-0.
The second half began brightly as goalkeepers Sam Walker and Connor Roberts were called into action after some entertaining end-to-end play, dealing with crosses in a confident manner.
On 55 minutes Chris Hackett again delivered a pin point free kick, this time onto the head of John Johnson, whose glancing header flashed wide of the post.
4 minutes later Ben Tozer played Chris Hackett in with an accurate through ball. The Cobblers man, who found himself in acres of space, was one on one with Sam Walker who managed to get a finger tip to his effort and push it just past the post.
On the 63-minute mark Chelsea substitue Alex Kiwomya opened the scoring when a Connor Roberts save fell straight to his feet, giving Kiwomya the simple task of tapping home from only yards out.
The game remained evenly poised, with Cobblers continuing to press Chelsea on the ball in search of an equaliser.
The Cobblers created a half-chance on 75 minutes when a neat Ben Harding knock down found Ben Tozer, who sent his effort wide of the mark.
3 minutes later Reuben Loftus-Cheek picked the ball up on the left wing, he cut inside and curled a low effort that was saved well by Roberts. Joe Widdowson looked to clear but the ball rebounded off Kiwomya and fell into the empty net, securing both his and Chelsea’s second of the game.
It was all action only a minute later when Alex Nicholls went on a great run down the left side, cutting inside right-back Todd Kane and curling a shot that looked to have got the better of goalkeeper Sam Walker. Nathan Ake was on hand however to acrobatically clear the ball over the goal with a diving header.
The Cobblers went close on a few more occasions; with Akinfenwa grazing the bar and an Anthony Charles glancing header brought out a great save from Sam Walker.
Northampton kept up their pressure on the Chelsea side as they peppered the box with long throw in after long throw in from Ben Tozer. The Blues defended solidly however, preventing the men in claret from getting a goal.
The game ended with Chelsea winning 2-0, as the Cobblers now look ahead to Tuesday when they play Derby at Sixfields.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 10
CORNERS: (2) 8
FOULS: (11) 18
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 5
CHELSEA MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (3) 4
FOULS: (7) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2