SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday December 15th, 3.00pm
PTS Academy Stadium
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Dean Bowditch 45
STEVENAGE 1
Ben Kennedy 75
Attendance: 4,756 (340 away supporters)
Cobblers: David Cornell, Shay Facey, Ash Taylor (sub Sam Hoskins 46), Jordan Turnbull, Aaron Pierre, David Buchanan, Shaun McWilliams, Sam Foley, Dean Bowditch (sub Hakeem Odoffin 74), Daniel Powell (sub Matt Crooks 66), Kevin van Veen
Subs not used: Luke Coddington, Billy Waters, Andy Williams, Junior Morias
Stevenage: Paul Farman, Luther Wildin, John Hunt (sub Emmanuel Sonupe 70), Michael Timlin (sub James Ball 90), Scott Cuthbert, Joel Byrom, Alex Revell (sub Daniel Newton 70), Ben Kennedy, Steve Seddon, Ronnie Henry, Kurtis Guthrie
Subs not used: William Appleyard, Terence Vancooten, Alex Reid, Ben Nugent
Referee: Christopher Sarginson
Booked:
Cobblers: none
Stevenage: Michael Timlin (89)
5 cautions on or before 19 games; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 37 games; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Stevenage: 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.
Daniel Powell came in for Sam Hoskins in the only change to the Cobblers side for the visit of Stevenage on a bitterly cold and wet December afternoon at the PTS Academy Stadium. Two ex-Cobblers players, Joel Byrom and Alex Revell both started for Stevenage with a third, Emmanuel Sonupe, named on the bench.
Kurtis Guthrie headed wide from an early Byrom free-kick while Stevenage survived a scare when Kevin van Veen robbed possession to set up a chance for Dean Bowditch. Some more good work from van Veen then lead to Shay Facey delivering a teasing cross in for Bowditch but 8 yards out he couldn’t quite keep his shot down.
A cross/shot from David Buchanan nearly crept in at the far post, Aaron Pierre couldn’t quite connect with a ball in from Ash Taylor and Bowditch saw an effort blocked at close range as the Cobblers began to assert themselves on the contest and they made the breakthrough in first half stoppage time, Powell providing the cross for Dean Bowditch to finish from 6-yards after bringing the ball down superbly.
Sam Hoskins replaced Ash Taylor at half-time with Facey joining Pierre and Jordan Turnbull in the back three. Bowditch was almost in for a second goal after being played in by van Veen but his shot flew just wide of the left-hand upright.
Some good defending from Turnbull denied Revell a clear sight at goal before a dipping effort from van Veen on the counter drifted narrowly wide with Paul Farman beaten.
Emmanuel Sonupe and Daniel Newton came on in a double change for Stevenage with Matt Crooks and Hakeem Odoffin on for the Cobblers, goalscorer Bowditch having picked up an injury.
Stevenage equalised in somewhat fortunate circumstances, Ben Kennedy taking advantage of David Cornell losing his footing in the wet conditions to loft the ball over the Cobblers keeper.
The final fifteen minutes passed without real incident with a Sam Foley header saved by Farman in stoppage time the closest either side came to claiming all three points.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 3
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 10
CORNERS: (2) 2
FOULS: (3) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1
STEVENAGE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 5
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (1) 3
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
SCRATCH CARD GOAL TIMES: ET1, 74:45