Northampton Town 3 Derby County 4 - the match report
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Tuesday July 31st, 7.30pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 3
Ben Harding 42
Kelvin Langmead 87
Chris Hackett 90 pen
DERBY COUNTY 4
Mason Bennett 34
Theo Robinson 38, 65
Jamie Ward 84
Attendance: 1,726 (493 away fans)
Cobblers: Dean Snedker, John Johnson, Kelvin Langmead, Anthony Charles, Joe Widdowson, Chris Hackett, Ben Harding, Luke Guttridge, Ishmel Demontagnac, Clive Platt, Alex Nicholls. Subs: Neal Kitson, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Lewis Wilson, Lewis Hornby, Jake Robinson, Ben Tozer, Louis Moult (trialist), Lewis Hornby, Michael Bryan (trialist), Jordan Chambers (youth), Harry Mattock (youth).
Derby: Derby County: Adam Legzdins, John Brayford, Tom Naylor, James Bailey, Valentin Gjokai, Mark O’Brien, Conor Doyle, Mason Bennett, Theo Robinson, Will Hughes, Ben Davies. Subs: Richard Keogh, Saul Deeney, Jake Buxton, Paul Coutts, Jeff Hendrick, Jamie Ward, Nathan Tyson, Michael Jacobs
Referee: Mr D Whitestone
Booked:
Cobblers: none
Derby: none
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Derby: none
Youth teamer Dean Snedker started in goal for the pre-season visit of Derby County. Michael Jacobs, who moved from Sixfields to Pride Park earlier in the summer, was named among the Rams substitutes.
The Cobblers were the first to show with Clive Platt and Alex Nicholls linking up well in attack.
Mason Bennett had Derby’s first meaningful effort on 20 minutes, Snedker pulling off a fine save to turn his shot behind.
Derby took the lead on 34 minutes, Mason Bennett’s glancing header from a John Brayford cross going in off the post.
Theo Robinson doubled the Rams lead just four minutes later, the striker scoring from another pin-point cross from Brayford after the ball had struck the Rams man as Snedker tried to clear.
Ben Harding pulled a goal back for the Cobblers on 41 minutes, the midfielder on hand to score with a sweet finish from 20 yards following a long ball from John Johnson and a Clive Platt knockdown.
Former Cobbler Michael Jacobs came on at the start of the second half as the Rams made a couple of changes. Jacobs received a hearty round of applause from the majority of the Cobblers faithful only intermingled with the odd boo.
Clive Platt went close with a header as the Cobblers looked for an equaliser. At the other end Snedker made another good stop this time to deny Conor Doyle on the volley.
Derby doubled their lead from the resultant corner however, Theo Robinson heading home.
Jacobs rattled the woodwork with a well-struck right-footed effort from distance as the game entered the final ten minutes.
Jamie Ward added a fourth for the Rams on 84 minutes, the substitute unmarked as he converted Jake Buxton’s cross from close range.
Kelvin Langmead then pulled a goal back for the Cobblers on 86 minutes with a low shot from the edge of the six-yard box.
The Cobblers were then awarded a penalty for a foul by Buxton on Langmead, Chris Hackett converting from the spot to make it 3-4.
There was no time for the Cobblers to draw level though as the referee blew for full-time.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 6
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (11) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3
DERBY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 8
CORNERS: (6) 9
FOULS: (6) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1