Northampton Town 2 MK Dons 2 - the match report
EMIRATES FA CUP 3RD ROUND
Saturday January 9th, 3.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Ricky Holmes 49, 58
MILTON KEYNES DONS 2
Ryan Cresswell og 13
Nicky Maynard 82
Attendance: 5,878 (947 away fans)
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Brendan Moloney, Ryan Cresswell, Rod McDonald, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Joel Byrom, Nicky Adams (sub Jason Taylor 89), Ricky Holmes (sub Lawson D'Ath 64), Sam Hoskins (sub Chris Hackett 78), Marc Richards
Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Evan Horwood, Zander Diamond, Josh Lelan
MK Dons: Cody Cropper, Lee Hodson, Kyle McFadzean (sub Matthew Upson 61), Dean Bowditch, Ben Reeves, Simon Church (sub Nicky Maynard 61), Jordan Spence, Joe Walsh, Josh Murphy (sub Samir Carruthers 61), Rob Hall, Jake Forster-Caskey
Subs not used: Mark Randall, Tom Hitchcock, Charlie Burns, Callum Brittain
Referee: Mr D Drysdale
Booked:
Cobblers: none
MK Dons: Samir Carruthers (85)
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
MK Dons: 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.
In Emirates FA Cup third round action for the first time since 2006, Northampton Town played host to Milton Keynes Dons at a sold out Sixfields.
Nicky Adams and Rod McDonald came into the Cobblers side as boss Chris Wilder made a couple of changes, Lawson D’Ath and Zander Diamond dropping to the bench. New loan signing James Collins was cup-tied having played for parent club Shrewsbury Town earlier in the competition.
Cody Cropper saved an early Adams header after his opposite number Adam Smith had done likewise to keep out a shot from Ryan Hall.
A Ryan Cresswell own goal gave the away side the lead,a Lee Hodson cross flicking off the ankle of the Cobblers defender.
Ricky Holmes' shot was comfortably saved by Cropper as the Cobblers looked to build a spell of pressure on the Dons goal. Clear cut chances were proving hard to come by for both sides and despite ending the first half with their 7th corner of the afternoon, the Cobblers were behind at half-time.
The Cobblers equalised following a bright start to the second half, Ricky Holmes with a sublime curler into the top corner.
Holmes then put the home side in front on 58 minutes with another terrific finish after good work from Marc Richards and Sam Hoskins.
MK Dons then made a treble change in a bid to turn the tide back in their favour before Lawson D’Ath came on for double goalscorer Holmes.
Nicky Adams curled a shot just over while at the other end a superbly timed challenge from Rod McDonald prevented a goalscoring opportunity.
In the second change for the home side, Chris Hackett came on for Sam Hoskins with just over ten minutes to go.
A goal line clearance from McDonald denied Robert Hall an equaliser before moments later the Dons did draw level through substitute Nicky Maynard who got the final touch to a shot through a crowd of players.
Despite a couple of late Cobblers corners in injury time 2-2 was how it finished with a replay at Stadium:MK now needed to settle the tie.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 6
CORNERS: (7) 9
FOULS: (4) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 5
MK DONS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (2) 7
FOULS: (3) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta