Northampton Town 3 Southend United 3
NPOWER LEAGUE 2
Saturday August 25th, 3.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 3
Adebayo Akinfenwa 65
David Artell 79
Alex Nicholls 84
SOUTHEND UNITED 3
Britt Assombalonga 55
Kane Ferdinand 78
Ryan Cresswell 90
Attendance:4,562 (456 away fans)
Cobblers: Lee Nicholls, John Johnson, Joe Widdowson, Kelvin Langmead, David Artell, Chris Hackett, Ben Tozer, Luke Guttridge (sub Adebayo Akinfenwa 61), Ben Harding, Clive Platt, Alex Nicholls. .
Subs not used: Lewis Wilson, Louis Moult, Ishmel Demontagnac, Anthony Charles, Henoc Mukendi, Dean Snedker.
Southend: Cameron Belford, Sean Clohessy, Ryan Cresswell, David Martin (sub Kevan Hurst 63), Kane Ferdinand, Mark Phillips, Luke Prosser, Ryan Leonard (sub Chris Barker 88), John Spicer, Britt Assombalonga, Gavin Tomlin.
Subs not used: Paul Smith, Anthony Straker, Neil Harris, Elliot Benyon, Alex Woodyard
Referee: Mr S Martin
Booked:
Cobblers: Alex Nicholls (69, 1st of the season), Joe Widdowson (72, 1st)
Southend: John Spicer (74)
5 cautions on or before 31 December; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Southend: none
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
Aidy Boothroyd named an unchanged side for the third game in a row as the Cobblers welcomed Southend United to Sixfields.
After a quiet opening, Chris Hackett dragged a shot wide having been played in by Clive Platt. The pacy Hackett then went on a mazy run which resulted in Alex Nichols having an effort deflected off the line and behind.
The ball fell to Luke Prosser following a Southend free-kick on 36 minutes but his miss-hit effort failed to threaten the Cobblers goal.
In what proved to be the last chance of the first half, Nicholls headed at Cameron Belford following another cross from Hackett.
The Cobblers forced a succession of corners at the start of the second half with from the last of these Alex Nicholls seeing a header saved by Belford.
Southend then took the lead against the run of play, Britt Assombalonga capitalising on a slip in the Cobblers defence before finishing well from an acute angle.
The Cobblers made their first change on 61 minutes, Adebayo Akinfenwa on for Luke Guttridge.
Akinfenwa equalised on 65 minutes, getting on the end of a flick from Platt before turning neatly to fire a shot into the roof of the net.
Lee Nicholls made a great save to deny Kevan Hurst, Gavin Tomlin firing wide from the rebound.
Kane Ferdinand put Southend back in front on 78 minutes, sliding the ball home from close range.
A minute later the Cobblers were once again back on terms, David Artell in the right place at the right time to convert after Belford could only parry a fiercely struck free-kick from Hackett.
The Cobblers then took the lead for the first time on 84 minutes, Alex Nicholls heading in from a Kelvin Langmead cross.
Southend equalised with virtually the last kick of the game, Ryan Creswell volleying in from close range following a scramble in the Cobblers penalty area.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 7
CORNERS: (2) 8
FOULS: (4) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
SOUTHEND MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 5
CORNERS: (3) 5
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 3
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.