Aldershot Town 1 Northampton Town 2 - the match report
NPOWER LEAGUE 2
Tuesday January 22nd
The EBB Stadium
ALDERSHOT TOWN 1
Dani Lopez 2
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Chris Hackett 21 pen
Clarke Carlisle 35
Attendance: 1191 (142 Cobblers fans)
Aldershot: Jamie Young, Ben Herd, Aaron Morris, Troy Brown, Peter Vincenti, Adam Mekki (sub Lionel Ainsworth 62), Craig Reid (sub Oliver Risser 84), Sonny Bradley, Danny Rose (sub Anthony McNamee 75), Dani Lopez, Michael Hector.
Subs not used: Michael Rankine, Kieron Cadogan, Glenn Morris, Harry Cooksley
Cobblers: Lee Nicholls, Ben Tozer, Kelvin Langmead, Clarke Carlisle, Joe Widdowson, Chris Hackett, Luke Guttridge, Ben Harding, Jake Robinson, Lewis Hornby, Clive Platt
Subs not used: Dean Snedker, Louis Moult, Ishmel Demontagnac, David Artell, Lewis Wilson, Adebayo Akinfenwa, David Moyo
Referee: Mr D Deadman
Booked:
Aldershot: Michael Hector (60)
Cobblers: Joe Widdowson (40, 8th of the season), Chris Hackett (61, 5th)
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Aldershot: 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.
Despite some heavy snow falling referee Darren Deadman gave this game the go ahead.
Lewis Hornby replaced Adebayo Akinfenwa in the Cobblers starting line-up while David Artell was named on the bench following a lengthy injury lay off.
Aldershot took the lead early on, Dani Lopez tapping home from an Adam Mekki cross.
The Cobblers were awarded a penalty on 21 minutes for a Michael Hector handball. Chris Hackett stepped up to score from the spot and restore parity.
Adam Mekki was denied by a terrific save from Lee Nicholls on 29 minutes as the snow continued to fall.
In a throw back to yesteryear, it was then decided that it was time for the orange ball to join proceedings.
Clarke Carlisle headed the Cobblers in front on 35 minutes, rising well to connect with a perfectly delivered Hackett corner.
Dani Lopez had a chance to equalise for the Shots ten minutes into the second half only to be thwarted by a good block on the line by Kelvin Langmead.
The home side made their first change just after the hour mark with new loan signing Lionel Ainsworth coming on for the lively looking Adam Mekki.
Hackett went on a marauding run on 78 minutes only to be denied by a last gasp clearance from Troy Brown. Lewis Hornby then had an effort cleared off the goal line as the Cobblers enjoyed a good spell of pressure.
There was to be no late rally from the Shots and the Cobblers saw the game out to claim the win that moved them up into the automatic promotion places in npower League 2.
ALDERSHOT MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5
CORNERS: (4) 5
FOULS: (7) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 5
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 2
CORNERS: (2) 5
FOULS: (5) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (6) 10
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.