Cheltenham Town v Northampton Town
NPOWER LEAGUE 2
Monday April 1st
Whaddon Road
CHELTENHAM TOWN 1
Steve Elliott 44
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 4,042 (934 Cobblers fans)
Cheltenham: Scott Brown, Keith Lowe, Darren Carter, Steve Elliott, Marlon Pack, Sam Deering (sub Kaid Mohamed 74), Jermaine McGlashan (sub Russell Penn 90), Paul Benson, Sido Jombati, Michael Hector, Byron Harrison (sub Jason Taylor 83)
Subs not used: Billy Jones, Darryl Duffy, Connor Roberts, Shaun Harrad
Cobblers: Lee Nicholls, John Johnson, Clarke Carlisle, Lee Collins, Joe Widdowson (sub Luke Guttridge 84) , Chris Hackett, Ben Tozer, Ben Harding, Ishmel Demontagnac, Roy O’Donovan, Adebayo Akinfenwa
Subs not used: Dean Snedker, Clive Platt, Claudio Dias, Nathan Cameron, Jake Robinson, Lewis Hornby
Referee: Mr L Collins
Booked:
Cheltenham: Darren Carter (89)
Cobblers: Joe Widdowson (36, 13th of the season), Clarke Carlisle (38, 8th)
10 cautions on or before 14 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cheltenham: none
Cobblers: none
Sending offs: 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.
Adebayo Akinfenwa replaced Clive Platt for the Easter Monday trip to promotion rivals Cheltenham Town, who included amongst their substitutes former Cobblers striker Shaun Harrad.
There was a moment of danger for the Cobblers on 5 minutes when from a quickly taken Cheltenham free-kick Byron Harrison found himself through on goal only to be denied by a great sliding challenge by John Johnson.
A good counter-attacking move from the Cobblers on 22 minutes saw Akinfenwa head just wide after a powerful run from Ben Tozer and a cross from Ishmel Demontagnac.
With the game becoming a little scrappy and Cheltenham being restricted to shooting from distance, Joe Widdowson and Clarke Carlisle both picked up yellow cards for fouls on the pacy Jermaine McGlashan.
Cheltenham took the lead on 44 minutes, Steve Elliott scoring from close range after Nicholls had parried his initial header.
As the Cobblers started to put Cheltenham on the back foot, an Ishmel Demontagnac shot from distance was only just gathered at the second attempt by Scott Brown.
Brown made an acrobatic save on 70 minutes to tip away a rasping shot from Hackett as the Cobblers pressure ratcheted up another notch. The Cheltenham keeper then saved with his feet to deny Roy O'Donovan.
Luke Guttridge replaced Widdowson on 83 minutes before Demontagnac fired a shot into the side netting.
Despite heaping on the pressure the Cobblers couldn't find an equaliser though as Cheltenham held on to claim the three points.
CHELTENHAM MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 5
CORNERS: (0) 2
FOULS: (4) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (5) 9
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 10
CORNERS: (2) 5
FOULS: (9) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.