SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Saturday January 6th, 2.00pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 3
John-Joe O'Toole 19
Matt Grimes 49 pen
Alex Revell 90
SOUTHEND UNITED 1
Jason Demetriou 26 pen
Attendance: 5,267 (564 away supporters)
Cobblers: Matt Ingram, Shay Facey (sub Brendan Moloney 90), David Buchanan, Ash Taylor, Regan Poole, Sam Foley (sub Hildeberto Pereira 64), Matt Crooks, Matt Grimes, Sam Hoskins, John-Joe O’Toole, Chris Long (sub Alex Revell 87)
Subs not used: David Cornell, Marc Richards, Billy Waters, Shaun McWilliams
Southend: Mark Oxley, Ben Coker, Anthony Wordsworth, Michael Turner, Michael Kightly (sub Jermaine McGlashan 61), Marc-Antoine Fortune, Simon Cox (sub Norman Wabo 74), Stephen McLaughlin, Dru Yearwood (sub Michael Timlin 61), Jason Demetriou, Harry Kyprianou
Subs not used: Amadou Ba, Nathan Bishop, Theo Robinson, Elvis Bwomono
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Booked:
Cobblers: Matt Crooks (85, 5th of the season)
Southend: none
10 cautions on or before 37 games; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Southend: 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.
Shay Facey made his debut at right-back after joining in the week from Manchester City while fellow new arrival, winger Hildeberto Pereira, signed on-loan from Legia Warsaw, was named on the bench. David Buchanan, Sam Hoskins and John-Joe O’Toole also all came back into the side with George Smith and Daniel Powell ruled out through injury. Alex Revell (groin) returned to the matchday 18 after missing the previous two months. Jack Bridge, the Cobblers third January signing, was not able to play against the club he joined from.
After a slow start from both sides in the early kick-off the Cobblers took the lead on 19 minutes, John-Joe O’Toole with the final touch after Ash Taylor’s initial header was well saved by Mark Oxley, the ball finding O’Toole via a deflection from Matt Crooks.
Parity was soon restored however, Jason Demetriou levelling things up from the penalty spot following a collision between Taylor and Stephen McLaughlin.
Oxley saved a Matt Grimes free-kick while Michael Kightly dragged a shot just wide for Southend as the first half ended all-square.
Referee Michael Salisbury pointed to the spot for a second time and it was the Cobblers who were awarded a penalty early in the second half when Harry Kyprianou brought down Chris Long in the area. Matt Grimes stepped up to beat Oxley from 12 yards and restore the Cobblers lead.
Grimes and Poole both went close as the home side pressed for a third goal before Michael Timlin and Jermaine McGlashan came on in a double change for Southend. Hildeberto Pereira then came on to make his Cobblers debut, replacing Sam Foley with 64 minutes on the clock.
Pereira made an immediate impact, curling a shot just wide with only his second touch and being denied by the crossbar after being played in by O’Toole. Long also went close with a shot from distance, his strike from 25-yards just failing to dip in time.
Poole made a good block at close range in a rare attack for Southend but it was the Cobblers who scored again late on, Pereira teeing up substitute Alex Revell to make it 3-1. That was how it finished, a thoroughly deserved and well earned three points for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s side.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 7
CORNERS: (0) 1
FOULS: (5) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1
SOUTHEND MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 9
CORNERS: (2) 5
FOULS: (7) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2