Cambridge United 2 Northampton Town 1 - the match report
SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Friday November 14th, 7.45pm
Abbey Stadium
CAMBRIDGE UNITED 2
Adam Cunnington 51
Ryan Bird 79
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Ivan Toney 50
Attendance: 5,644 (950 Cobblers fans)
Cambridge: Chris Dunn, Richard Tait, Greg Taylor, Josh Coulson, Ryan Donaldson (sub Luke Chadwick 46), Tom Champion, Adam Cunnington (sub Ryan Bird 65), Robbie Simpson, Liam Hughes, Kwesi Appiah, Tom Naylor (sub Bobby-Joe Taylor 74).
Subs not used: Will Norris, Matteo Lanzoni, Liam Hurst, Matthew Foy.
Cobblers: Jordan Archer, Ben Tozer, Ryan Cresswell, Lee Collins, Tom Newey (sub Gregor Robertson 30), Chris Hackett (sub John-Joe O'Toole 55), Stewart Murdoch, Joel Byrom (sub Emile Sinclair 84), Kaid Mohamed, Marc Richards, Ivan Toney
Subs not used: Matt Duke, Kelvin Langmead, Darren Carter, Alex Nicholls
Referee: Mr T Kettle
Booked:
Cambridge: Liam Hughes (81)
Cobblers: none
5 cautions on or before 30 November; 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:
Cambridge: none
Cobblers: 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.
Marc Richards and Chris Hackett both returned to the Northampton Town starting line-up for their first league meeting with Cambridge United in almost ten years.
Top scorer Richards, starting for the first time since early October having fully recovered from a hamstring injury, headed wide from an early Hackett corner as the Cobblers began brightly.
Kaid Mohamed had a shot deflected over from close range before Cambridge’s first chance of the game saw an Adam Cunnington header saved by Jordan Archer.
The Cobblers were forced into making a change on the half hour, Tom Newey forced off with an injury, Gregor Robertson coming on. Mohamed then had a shot parried by Dunn with the winger’s follow-up effort skied over the bar.
Kwesi Appiah played in Robbie Simpson just before half-time but the latter’s shot was well saved by Archer.
Town went in front on 50 minutes, Ivan Toney rising superbly to head home a Hackett cross.
Cambridge were quickly back on terms however, Adam Cunnington with a header from a corner.
John-Joe O’Toole replaced Hackett before Archer did well to save a Simpson free-kick which went through a crowd of players in the penalty area as Cambridge enjoyed a period of pressure following their equaliser.
Cambridge took the lead with just over ten minutes to go, substitute Ryan Bird scoring from close range after a ball over the top had set Appiah away.
Toney nearly made it 2-2 on 86 minutes but his header from a pin-point cross from Ben Tozer landed on the roof of Dunn’s net. The Cobblers then had one last chance deep into stoppage time but the ball somehow went over the crossbar after Ryan Cresswell’s initial header had been cleared off the line.
CAMBRIDGE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 2
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 4
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 8
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (5) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta