Northampton Town 0 Cambridge United 1 - the match report
SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Monday April 6th, 3.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
CAMBRIDGE UNITED 1
Harrison Dunk 2
Attendance: 5,520 (912 away fans)
Cobblers: Matt Duke, Brendon Moloney, Ryan Cresswell, Lee Collins (sub Diego De Girolamo 66), Evan Horwood (sub Darren Carter 86), Jason Taylor, Joel Byrom, Lawson D’Ath, James Gray, Ricky Holmes, Chris Hackett (sub Ivan Toney 30).
Subs not used: Shwan Jalal, Zander Diamond, Lewis Hornby, Ross Perry.
Cambridge: Chris Dunn, Greg Taylor, Josh Coulson, Ryan Donaldson, Tom Champion, Tom Elliott, Harrison Dunk (sub Johnny Hunt 86), Michael Nelson, Dominic Ball, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (sub Sullay Kaikai 59), Ryan Bird (sub Robbie Simpson 79).
Subs not used: Ian Miller, Jordan Slew, Will Norris, Matt Harrold.
Referee: Mr T Kettle
Booked:
Cobblers: none
Cambridge: Dominic Ball (90)
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Cambridge: 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.
Easter Monday at Sixfields saw Northampton Town take on Cambridge United. Evan Horwood and Chris Hackett came into the Cobblers side in place of Zander Diamond and John-Joe O’Toole (hamstring).
Cambridge stunned the Cobblers with a goal after just 62 seconds, Harrison Dunk with a low strike from distance.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was denied by Matt Duke as the U’s looked to double their lead while for the Cobblers the in-form James Gray headed just over from a Horwood cross.
Chris Wilder made a change on the half hour, Ivan Toney coming on for Hackett. Town then survived a scare as Ryan Donaldson fired a shot against the crossbar via an important fingertip touch from Duke.
The Cobblers considerably upped the tempo towards the end of the first half but still trailed at the break, Joel Byrom dragging a shot just wide on 44 minutes.
Mendez-Laing raced clear for Cambridge at the start of the second half only to fire wide having rounded Matt Duke. Ivan Toney went close with a header on 59 minutes, the chance being set up by another Horwood cross.
As the second half neared the midway point U’s substitute Sullay Kaikai had a shot deflected behind before Diego De Girolamo came on for Lee Collins.
Kaikai spurned a good chance to double Cambridge’s lead with ten minutes to go, missing from close range when well-placed from a Robbie Simpson pass. Ryan Cresswell headed wide from a Joel Byrom corner before Darren Carter replaced Horwood in the Cobblers final change.
The Cobblers had strong penalty appeals turned down when De Girolamo went down in the area but referee Trevor Kettle waved play on and the U’s held on to claim the three points.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 10
CORNERS: (6) 9
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1
CAMBRIDGE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 7
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (4) 5
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 6
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta