SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday March 9th, 2.00pm
PTS Academy Stadium
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Aaron Pierre 32
Andy Williams 57
EXETER CITY 1
Aaron Martin 61
Attendance: 4,954 (412 away supporters)
Cobblers: David Cornell, Charlie Goode, Ash Taylor, Aaron Pierre, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole (sub Timi Elsnik 90), Jordan Turnbull, Sam Foley, Daniel Powell (sub Joe Powell 78), Sam Hoskins, Marvin Sordell (sub Andy Williams 34)
Subs not used: Luke Coddington, Dean Bowditch, Jay Williams, Jack Bridge
Exeter: Christy Pym, Craig Woodman, Dara O’Shea, Aaron Martin, Nicky Law (sub Ryan Bowman 78), Jonathan Forte, Matt Jay, Kane Wilson, Jake Taylor, Archie Collins (sub Lee Holmes 46), Alex Hartridge (sub Hiram Boateng 46)
Subs not used: Randell Williams, James Hamon, Jaden Brown, Troy Brown
Referee: Andy Haines
Booked:
Cobblers: Ash Taylor (60, 5th of the season), Sam Foley (90, 4th)
Exeter: 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
Exeter: 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.
On a blustery afternoon at the PTS Academy Stadium Keith Curle named an unchanged side for the visit of promotion contenders Exeter City. The game kicked off at the earlier time of 2pm to avoid a direct clash with a Northampton Saints home fixture.
The Cobblers had the better of things early on without creating too many clear cut chances and it was Exeter who went close to breaking the deadlock on 24 minutes, Matt Jay twice denied by blocks inside the six-yard box.
John-Joe O’Toole couldn’t convert a cross from Sam Hoskins but it wasn’t long before the Cobblers made the breakthrough, Aaron Pierre rising above a group of players to get the final touch after Marvin Sordell’s initial header rattled the cross bar. Sordell then had to be replaced having injured himself in the lead up to the goal, Andy Williams coming on in his place.
Referee Andy Haines turned down the Cobblers appeals for a penalty when Williams appeared to be fouled in the area and the Cobblers went close to a second in first half stoppage time, Christy Pym making the save when one-on-one with Daniel Powell.
Exeter shuffled their pack at half-time, bringing on Lee Holmes and one-time Cobblers loanee Hiram Boateng in a double change.
David Cornell pulled off a fine save to preserve the Cobblers lead, diving to his right to palm away a stinging shot. It was possibly a pivotal moment in the match as not long after that Daniel Powell’s pull-back found Andy Williams who made it 2-0 with a clinical close range finish.
Five minutes later though the Grecians were back in the game, Aaron Martin heading home from a corner despite the initial efforts of Cornell.
Both sides made a substitution with just over ten minutes to play, it was Powell for Powell as Joe replaced Daniel in the second Cobblers change with Ryan Bowman on for Exeter.
Williams was eyeing up a second goal of the afternoon with the 90 minutes nearly up but Pym managed to tip the ball behind to keep his side in the game. All three points belonged to the Cobblers though as they extended their unbeaten run to six matches with a third win on the bounce.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 10
CORNERS: (4) 7
FOULS: (4) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 3
EXETER MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 0
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (5) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 5
SCRATCH CARD GOAL TIMES: 31:03, 56:04, 60:58