Northampton Town v AFC Wimbledon
SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Saturday August 20th, 3.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
AFC WIMBLEDON 0
Attendance: 5,185 (424 away fans)
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Aaron Phillips, Zander Diamond, Gabriel Zakuani, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Matt Taylor, Kenji Gorre (sub Harry Beautyman 61), Sam Hoskins (sub Jak McCourt 83), Alex Revell, Marc Richards (sub Emmanuel Sonupe 72)
Subs not used: David Cornell, Brendan Moloney, Alfie Potter, Lewin Nyatanga
AFC Wimbledon: Ryan Clarke, Barry Fuller, Dannie Bulman, Paul Robinson, Jake Reeves, Tom Elliott (sub Tyrone Barnett 77), Chris Whelpdale, Andy Barcham, Sean Kelly, Darius Charles, Lyle Taylor (sub Dominic Poleon 77)
Subs not used: James Shea, Will Nightingale, Tom Beere, Dean Parrett, David Fitzpatrick
Referee: Mr Nicholas Kinseley
Booked:
Cobblers: David Buchanan (74, 1st of the season)
AFC Wimbledon: 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:
Cobblers: none
AFC Wimbledon: 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.
After three consecutive away games the Cobblers returned home for the visit of AFC Wimbledon. Marc Richards came back into the side in place of Alfie Potter while Ryan Clarke, who left Sixfields in the summer, started in goal for the Dons.
The home side started brightly, creating a couple of early chances as Kenji Gorre drew a save from Clarke and John-Joe O’Toole headed over from a Matt Taylor corner.
Some good link up play between Alex Revell and Richards saw Gorre go on a run which ended in a flying save from Clarke.
Wimbledon enjoyed a spell of pressure in the latter stages of the first half and from a Lyle Taylor cross to the back post Tom Elliott sent a glancing header just wide.
A 30-yard shot from Lyle Taylor was comfortably saved by Smith while Andy Barcham put an effort wide. Gabriel Zakuani and John-Joe O’Toole then just failed to get what surely would have been a scoring touch on an accustomed pin-point set piece delivery from Matt Taylor.
Harry Beautyman came on for Gorre just after the hour mark before Lyle Taylor curled a free-kick wide.
Dannie Bulman blocked a shot from Sam Hoskins while Wimbledon’s Tom Elliott couldn’t get his radar right with a snap shot.
With the game still delicately poised Emmanuel Sonupe and Jak McCourt both came on to make their competitive debuts for the Cobblers as first Marc Richards and then Sam Hoskins made way.
A combination of Adam Smith and the Cobblers cross bar denied Paul Robinson from a Dons corner while Matt Taylor went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when a smart Alex Revell cross just eluded him. It wasn’t to be for either side though as the game ended goalless.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (3) 6
FOULS: (3) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
AFC WIMBLEDON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5
CORNERS: (8) 14
FOULS: (4) 7
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta