MK Dons 3 Northampton Town 0 - the match report
EMIRATES FA CUP 3RD ROUND REPLAY
Tuesday January 19th, 7.45pm
Stadium:MK
MILTON KEYNES DONS 3
Ben Reeves 53 pen
Josh Murphy 62
Simon Church 89 pen
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 15,133 (7,040 Cobblers fans)
MK Dons: David Martin, Lee Hodson, Antony Kay, Matt Upson (sub Joe Walsh 38), Dean Lewington, Samir Carruthers, Jake Forster-Caskey, Rob Hall, Ben Reeves (sub Daniel Powell 74), Dean Bowditch (sub Josh Murphy 54), Simon Church
Subs not used: Cody Cropper, Jordan Spence, Tom Hitchcock
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Brendan Moloney, Zander Diamond (sub Ryan Cresswell 88), Rod McDonald, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Joel Byrom, Ricky Holmes, Nicky Adams, Sam Hoskins, Marc Richards
Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Evan Horwood, Josh Lelan, Jason Taylor, Alfie Potter
Referee: Mr T Harrington
Booked:
MK Dons: Josh Murphy (71)
Cobblers: Brendan Moloney (19, 2nd of the season)
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
MK Dons: 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.
Premier League Champions Chelsea awaited the winner of the Emirates FA Cup third round replay as the Cobblers, backed by around 7,000 travelling fans, made the trip to Milton Keynes Dons.
Marc Richards and Ricky Holmes both came back into the Town side with Alfie Potter named on the bench after recovering from a rib injury. Lawson D’Ath (groin) remained unavailable for selection while Lee Martin and James Collins were cup tied.
On a bitterly cold night in Milton Keynes, an early save from Adam Smith denied Simon Church, a late inclusion in the MK Dons starting line-up in place of Nicky Maynard.
David Martin parried a shot from Hoskins before following a quick break from the home side Brendan Moloney did well to get a block on Dean Bowditch.
Rob Hall fired over under pressure from David Buchanan as the game neared the half hour mark. Holmes had a shot saved from an acute angle after breaking clear of the Dons defence with the home side then forced into making a change, Joe Walsh coming on for Matt Upson.
Moloney shot over from 25-yards as the Cobblers started the second half on top. David Martin carried the ball over the line following a third corner in quick succession, and although the assistant initially flagged for a goal, referee Tony Harrington ruled the goal out for a foul on the Dons keeper.
A minute later the home side were awarded a penalty for a foul by Zander Diamond on the very edge of the area and Ben Reeves stepped up to score from the spot.
Dons went close to doubling their lead soon after, Josh Murphy’s shot coming back off the cross bar.
Murphy did make it 2-0 on the hour, picking his spot and giving Adam Smith no chance.
The Cobblers responded well to going 2-0 down as they pressed hard for a deficit-halving goal. Moloney, Richards and O’Toole all had efforts but couldn’t quite calve the opening that Chris Wilder’s side needed.
A second Dons penalty was awarded late on and scored by Simon Church after Adam Smith was adjudged to have brought down Rob Hall. The scoreline was harsh but the Cobblers run in the Emirates FA Cup for 2015/16 was over.
MK DONS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 5
CORNERS: (3) 3
FOULS: (3) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 3
CORNERS: (1) 9
FOULS: (5) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta