Northampton Town 2 Walsall 0 - the match report
SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Saturday September 10th, 3.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Matt Taylor 24
Alex Revell 78 pen
WALSALL 0
Attendance: 5,538 (601 away fans)
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Brendan Moloney, David Buchanan, Zander Diamond, Lewin Nyatanga, Paul Anderson (sub Sam Hoskins 60), Jak McCourt, Matt Taylor, Kenji Gorre (sub Alfie Potter 58), Harry Beautyman (sub John-Joe O'Toole 72), Alex Revell
Subs not used: David Cornell, Marc Richards, Gabriel Zakuani, JJ Hooper
Walsall: Neil Etheridge, Joe Edwards, Scott Laird, Jason McCarthy, Adam Chambers, Erhun Oztumer, Kieron Morris (sub Andreas Makris 80), Liam Kinsella (sub Simeon Jackson 66), Amadou Bakayoko, Qamaruddin Kouhyar (sub Franck Moussa 57), Kevin Toner
Subs not used: George Dobson, Craig MacGillivary, Matt Preston, Jordan Sangha
Referee: Mr G Ward
Booked:
Cobblers: Kenji Gorre (45, 2nd of the season), Brendan Moloney (90, 2nd)
Walsall: Jason McCarthy (77)
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
Walsall: 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.
Rob Page named an unchanged side for the visit of Walsall with Gabriel Zakuani, back from international duty with DR Congo and John-Joe O’Toole, back from suspension and a minor ankle knock, named on the bench.
Alex Revell headed wide on 6 minutes after a bright start from the home side. Amadou Bakayoko then went close with a shot from distance as Walsall registered their first effort on goal.
Bakayoko was posing a threat and Adam Smith did well to deny the striker from a tight angle, turning his shot behind.
Matt Taylor headed the Cobblers in front midway through the first half, Harry Beautyman providing the ammunition with an inch-perfect cross.
The Cobblers were on top and a snap shot from Beautyman almost immediately doubled the home side’s lead. The same player then shot straight at Neil Etheridge after being played in by Brendan Moloney. Scott Laird had a chance to equalise for the Saddlers at the end of the first half but his effort at the back post went just wide.
Etheridge pulled off a fine save at the start of the second half to keep out a Revell header before Taylor saw his free-kick from distance turned behind by the Walsall stopper.
Alfie Potter and Sam Hoskins came on for the Cobblers with around half an hour to play while Walsall brought on Franck Moussa and Simeon Jackson. John-Joe O’Toole then came on for Beautyman as Rob Page made his third and final change.
Alex Revell doubled Town’s lead from the penalty spot on 78 minutes, referee Gavin Ward pointing to the spot after Scott Laird was penalised for hand ball. Revell had been denied moments earlier by another superb save from Etheridge but the striker kept his cool from 12-yards to notch for the fourth time in his fledgling Town career.
5 minutes of injury time was added at the end of the game but 2-0 was how it finished as the Cobblers made it back-to-back league wins.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (3) 7
FOULS: (3) 7
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 2
WALSALL MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 7
CORNERS: (3) 5
FOULS: (3) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 5
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta