Northampton Town 1 AFC Wimbledon 1 - the match report
SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Tuesday March 1st, 7.45pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
John-Joe O'Toole 45
AFC WIMBLEDON 1
Lyle Taylor 62
Attendance: 5,124 (376 away fans)
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Brendan Moloney, Zander Diamond, Luke Prosser, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Joel Byrom, Ricky Holmes, Lawson D’Ath, Nicky Adams (sub John Marquis 67), James Collins
Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Josh Lelan, Ryan Cresswell, Jason Taylor, Danny Rose, Lee Martin
AFC Wimbledon: Kelle Roos, Barry Fuller, Dannie Bulman, Paul Robinson, George Francomb, Jake Reeves, Tom Elliott, Jon Meades, Andy Barcham (sub Sean Rigg 88), Ryan Sweeney, Lyle Taylor (sub Adebayo Azeez 86)
Subs not used: James Shea, Callum Kennedy, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Connor Smith, David Fitzpatrick
Referee: Mr P Gibbs
Booked:
Cobblers: Luke Prosser (27, 3rd of the season)
AFC Wimbledon: Tom Elliott (22), Jon Meades (70), Barry Fuller (90)
10 cautions on or before 13 March; 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.
The two in-form teams in Sky Bet League 2 met at Sixfields on Tuesday night as the Cobblers, playing for a third successive midweek, took on AFC Wimbledon.
Luke Prosser started in central defence after coming on for the injured Rod McDonald at Hartlepool while John-Joe O’Toole returned from illness. Joel Byrom, Lawson D’Ath and Nicky Adams also all came back into the side as Chris Wilder made a handful of changes.
Wimbledon started brightly, forcing Adam Smith into making a couple of saves, while Nicky Adams flashed the first Cobblers attempt of the night wide.
Neal Ardley’s side were posing a real threat and but for a deflection could have taken the lead through a Tom Elliott header.
The Cobblers were themselves growing into the game though and it was only a superb reaction save from Kelle Roos that prevented James Collins' powerful header opening the scoring.
The home side ended the first half strongly and took the lead just before the break, John-Joe O’Toole getting the final touch to Joel Byrom’s corner initially met by Zander Diamond.
George Francomb scuffed a shot straight at Adam Smith as Wimbledon started the second half as they did the first, on the front foot.
A goalbound Zander Diamond header was cleared off the line as the game reached the hour mark but just moments later Wimbledon were back on level terms, the pacy Lyle Taylor with a cute finish.
With Wimbledon piling on the pressure Adam Smith made a good save to keep out a Tom Elliot header before the Cobblers made their first change of the night, John Marquis on for Nicky Adams.
Diamond shot wide as the home side looked to wrestle back the initiative, both teams seemingly going all out for the three points.
As the clock ticked past 75 with the game still very much in the balance, referee Philip Gibbs turned down strong Cobblers appeals for a penalty when Marquis appeared to be brought down by Dons keeper Kelle Roos.
The Cobblers pressed for a late winner but what had been a thoroughly entertaining game was to end all-square.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 7
CORNERS: (3) 7
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1
AFC WIMBLEDON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5
CORNERS: (3) 11
FOULS: (6) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta