The Northampton Town Academy under 15s and 16s are spending the half term week in Italy, taking part in a tournament involving the Cobblers, AFC Bournemouth, Luton Town, Rimini, Savignanse, Haverhill and Cesena. We will have regular updates on the trip:
Day 1
After a long day travelling to our hotel in Cattolica, we had an evening warm up game against Santacalangelo. Our U15s drew 0-0 in a game where we had lots of chances to win the game but it was a positive start to the tour. The U16s had a tough task against a very good side and ended up losing 5-2 but turned in a much improved second half performance that could give them encouragement. We then enjoyed following the first team's win at Macclesfield in the evening!
Day 2
With the tournament starting against Premier League side Bournemouth the U16s faced a tough task. After dominating the first half and missing a handful of chances, Bournemouth went 1-0 up with the last kick of the half. They then controlled the second half as the Cobblers dropped their performance. The education here is for the boys to learn how to manage themselves and their bodies in a tournament environment. The game ended 5-0 to the Premier League side.