FA YOUTH CUP SECOND ROUND
Wednesday November 14th 2018, kick off 7.00pm
PTS Academy Stadium
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Jack Daldy 10
Morgan Roberts 23
SWINDON TOWN 0
Attendance: 577
Cobblers: Bradley Lashley, Joe Jarvis, Jacob Ballinger, Jordan Caswell, Ryan Hughes, Jay Williams, Matthew Slinn, Jack Newell, Jack Daldy, Morgan Roberts, Scott Pollock
Subs: Urijah Gordon-Douglas, Lewi Patching, Ryan Smith, Camron McWilliams, Michael Harding
Swindon: Archie Mathews, Joe Blackwell, Oliver England, Thomas Suter, Luke Haines, Harry Stanley, Toby Holland, Ralph Graham, Teoman Atik, Massimo Giamattei, Rhys Wells
Subs: Jacob Bancroft, Sonny Haynes, Joshua Taylor, Harry Drag, Anthony Cheshire
Booked:
Cobblers: Urijah Gordon-Douglas (89)
Swindon: Sonny Haynes (72), Ralph Graham (86)
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Swindon: none
Northampton Town’s youth team welcomed their Swindon Town counterparts to the PTS Academy Stadium for this FA Youth Cup second round tie.
Morgan Roberts was an early threat, and his sixth minute cross just eluded the sliding Jack Daldy before Scott Pollock had a low shot deflected wide. As the Cobblers maintained their fast start, Pollock was close again, having a shot beaten away. The goal the Cobblers deserved wasn’t far away though, Jack Daldy flicking a header home from the resulting Morgan Roberts corner in the 10th minute.
Jon Brady’s side were close to a second, almost identical, goal moments later but from another Roberts corner, this time the header from Jay Williams drifted just beyond the far post. Roberts himself was then denied by the legs of keeper Mathews as the Cobblers continued to press.
Morgan Roberts wasn’t to be denied for long though, getting his name on the scoresheet in the 23rd minute with a low drive beyond Mathews after receiving a Scott Pollock pass and turning his defender on the edge of the area.
Roberts was denied another moments before half time, Jack Daldy was just wide with the follow up as the Cobblers continued on the front foot.
The visitors came out determined to fight their way back into the game at the start of the second half and forced a couple of early corners but the Cobblers youngsters put their bodies on the line to repel the danger.
The second half was generally tighter than the first with fewer clearcut chances, although Ralph Graham sent a shot on the turn over the bar for the visitors as the game entered the final fifteen minutes.
With five minutes left to play, Matthew Slinn released the Intercounty Mercedes Van and Truck hire man of the match Jacob Ballinger down the left hand side but his low cross just eluded both Gordon-Douglas and Harding in the area, although it mattered little in terms of the result.
That first half blitz was enough to see the Cobblers through to round 3, where they will travel to take on Arsenal.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS
SHOTS ON TARGET: 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: 1
CORNERS: 4
FOULS: 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: 5
SWINDON MATCH STATS
SHOTS ON TARGET: 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: 4
CORNERS: 4
FOULS: 16
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: 0