SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday January 26th, 2.00pm
PTS Academy Stadium
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Timi Elsnik 22
MORECAMBE 1
Richie Bennett 52
Attendance: 4,512 (96 away fans)
Cobblers: David Cornell, Shay Facey (sub Andy Williams 56), Jay Williams, Ash Taylor, Aaron Pierre, Jack Bridge, Jordan Turnbull, Joe Powell (sub Morgan Roberts 76), Timi Elsnik, Junior Morias (sub Daniel Powell 70), Sam Hoskins
Subs not used: Luke Coddington, David Buchanan, Scott Pollock, Camron McWilliams
Morecambe: Mark Halstead, Zak Mills, Alex Kenyon, Andrew Tutte, Richie Bennett (sub Paul McKay 90), Vadaine Oliver, Kevin Ellison, Ritchie Sutton, Sam Lavelle, Rhys Oates (sub Liam Mandeville 72), Jordan Cranston
Subs not used: Luke Conlon, Steven Old, Dawid Szczepaniak, Carlos Mendes-Gomes, Ben Hedley
Referee: Lee Collins
Booked:
Cobblers: Aaron Pierre (15, 4th of the season)
Morecambe: Sam Lavelle (36)
10 cautions on or before 37 games; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Morecambe: 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.
New loan signings Timi Elsnik (Derby County) and Joe Powell (West Ham United) both came straight into the Cobblers midfield for the visit of Morecambe to the PTS Academy Stadium. Defender Ash Taylor also came back in to the side after recovering from injury. The game kicked off at the earlier time of 2pm in order to avoid a direct clash with the Northampton Saints.
A cross from Jack Bridge set up a chance for Junior Morias on nine minutes but his effort was straight at Mark Halstead. There was then another half chance for Morias when a long looping throw from Taylor caused Morecambe problems but he couldn’t quite find the target.
The Cobblers were on top and got the goal they deserved midway through the first half, debutant Timi Elsnik finding the top corner from close range after a bit of pinball in the Morecambe area.
David Cornell pulled off a fine save to deny Andrew Tutte an equaliser before Morias saw a shot blocked at close range as the action quickly switched to the other end of the field. A double chance for Sam Hoskins then followed, Halstead making a good save from his first attempt with his follow-up effort wide.
Morecambe posed a threat on the break and but for one of his own players, in an off-side position, getting in the way, Rhys Oates may well have equalised before half-time while another chance for Hoskins went begging and Elsnik went close to a second with a deflected effort that went just wide in first half added time.
The Cobblers started the second half brightly but Morecambe equalised on the break, Richie Bennett on the end of a ball in from Kevin Ellison to tap home at the far post.
Andy Williams joined the action in place of Shay Facey in Keith Curle’s first change of the afternoon, the Cobblers continuing on the front foot despite the Shrimps equaliser. Hoskins curled a shot from 20-yards into the side netting before Cornell had to be alert at the other end to save from Vadaine Oliver.
Rhys Oates went close to putting the away side in front from a corner as Daniel Powell came on for Morias. Oliver then had the ball in the back of the net following another quick break from the visitors but the flag was already raised for off-side. Morgan Roberts replaced Joe Powell in the Cobblers final change with just under fifteen minutes to play.
Shrimps substitute Liam Mandeville dragged a shot wide and Halstead saved from Hoskins as time ticked toward the 90-minute mark with the score still 1-1 and that was how it finished.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (6) 8
CORNERS: (2) 6
FOULS: (4) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1
MORECAMBE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (2) 3
FOULS: (3) 4
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 4
SCRATCH CARD GOAL TIMES: 21:15, 51:57