Southend United 1 Northampton Town 2 - the match report
NPOWER LEAGUE 2
Saturday February 16th
Roots Hall
SOUTHEND UNITED 1
Matthew Lund 64
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Roy O'Donovan 11
Kelvin Langmead 90
Attendance: 5,406 (449 Cobblers fans)
Southend: Paul Smith, Sean Clohessy, Anthony Straker, Michael Spillane (sub Neil Harris 90), Barry Corr, Danny Mayor (sub Freddy Eastwood 33), Matthew Lund, Kevan Hurst, Luke Prosser, Britt Assombalonga (sub Ben Reeves 90), Bilel Mohsni.
Subs not used: Graham Coughlan, Daniel Bentley, Ryan Leonard, Alex Woodyard
Cobblers: Lee Nicholls, John Johnson, Kelvin Langmead, Ben Tozer, Lee Collins (sub Adebayo Akinfenwa 69), Joe Widdowson, Chris Hackett, Luke Guttridge, Ben Harding, Roy O’Donovan, Clive Platt (sub Manny Oleyeke 90).
Subs not used: Dean Snedker, Ishmel Demontagnac, Jake Robinson, Lewis Hornby
Referee: Mr G Scott
Booked:
Southend: none
Cobblers: Luke Guttridge (72, 5th of the season), Clive Platt (90, 5th)
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Southend: Bilel Mohsni(27)
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.
With Clarke Carlisle missing through illness Aidy Boothroyd shuffled his back four. John Johnson and Lee Collins both came into the side with Ben Tozer partnering Kelvin Langmead in central defence. Joe Widdowson pushed on to play left-midfield while Roy O'Donovan started alongside Clive Platt up front.
After repelling some early Southend pressure the Cobblers took the lead on 11 minutes, Roy O'Donovan getting on the end of a Ben Tozer long throw that was flicked on by Clive Platt to hook the ball in at the back post.
Bilel Mohsni was shown a straight red card on 27 minutes, the re-called centre-half dismissed for a dangerously high challenge on Chris Hackett.
Clive Platt was denied by a good challenge from Luke Prosser as the Cobblers looked to quickly press home their numerical advantage. Paul Sturrock then made a change with Freddy Eastwood coming on for Danny Mayor.
Southend equalised totally against the run of play on 62 minutes, Matthew Lund's header deflecting in off a combination of Kelvin Langmead and the post.
Adebayo Akinfenwa replaced Lee Collins in the Cobblers first change before Freddy Eastwood went close for the home side with a curled free-kick from distance.
Luke Guttridge fired a shot just wide while at the other end Lee Nicholls pulled off a good save to deny Kevan Hurst.
Paul Smith made a terrific save on 86 minutes to keep out a flick from Akinfenwa who had been set up by a superb cross from Chris Hackett.
Kelvin Langmead put the Cobblers back in front on 90 minutes, forcing the ball home from a Hackett cross after the Shrimpers failed to clear another Tozer throw.
Manny Oyeleke replaced Clive Platt in stoppage time with the latter booked for time wasting as he left the field of play. Southend then had the ball in the back of the net but the off-side flag was already up and the Cobblers saw out six minutes of injury time to claim a vital three points.
SOUTHEND MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 6
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (5) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 4
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (6) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 3
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.