SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday August 14th, 3.00pm
JobServe Community Stadium
COLCHESTER UNITED 0
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Jon Guthrie 22
Attendance: 2,772 (446 Cobblers fans)
Colchester: Shamal George, Ryan Clampin, Luke Chambers, Tommy Smith, Brendan Wiredu (sub Luke Hannant 58), Cole Skuse, Frank Nouble, Alan Judge, Sylvester Jasper (sub Noah Chilvers 80), Tom Eastman, Cameron Coxe (sub Freddie Sears 58)
Subs not used: Jake Turner, Miles Welch-Hayes, Gene Kennedy, Junior Tchamadeu
Cobblers: Liam Roberts, Aaron McGowan, Joseph Mills (sub Sid Nelson 85), Fraser Horsfall, Jon Guthrie, Sam Hoskins, Paul Lewis, Shaun McWilliams, Mitch Pinnock (sub Ali Koiki 76), Nicke Kabamba, Kion Etete (sub Danny Rose 56)
Subs not used: Jonny Maxted, Dylan Connolly, Scott Pollock, Benny Ashley-Seal
Referee: Trevor Kettle
Booked:
Colchester: none
Cobblers: Mitch Pinnock (31, 1st of the season), Sam Hoskins (75, 1st), Shaun McWilliams (90, 1st)
5 cautions on or before 19 games; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 37 games; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Colchester: none
Cobblers: Fraser Horsfall (84)
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.
After back-to-back wins against Port Vale in the league and Coventry City in the Carabao Cup, Northampton Town rounded off the first week of the new season with a trip to Colchester United.
Kion Etete kept his place in the side following his two goals against the Sky Blues with the on-loan Spurs striker one of three changes to the team that started against Port Vale with Sam Hoskins and Shaun McWilliams also included. Jordan Flores (heel) joined Jack Sowerby and Michael Harriman on the sidelines. Former Cobblers defender Luke Chambers, one of four summer arrivals from Ipswich, started for the U’s.
The Cobblers made the breakthrough midway through the first half after a fairly even start to the contest, Jon Guthrie scoring his first goal for the club just minutes after receiving treatment following a clash of heads with Brendan Wiredu. The goal came from a Sam Hoskins free-kick with Guthrie scoring at the second attempt after Shamal George had saved his initial header.
Having set up the first goal, Hoskins made a terrific box-to-box run before delivering a cross for Kion Etete who couldn’t quite get his shot away. In a first half of very few chances Fraser Horsfall, making his 50th appearance for the Cobblers, then made a good block to deny Frank Nouble in a rare sight at goal for the home side.
Liam Roberts saved comfortably from Sylvester Jasper deep in first half stoppage time before Etete had a chance to make it 2-0, the Spurs loanee in the right place at the right time but was just unable to provide the finishing touch to Horsfall’s cross/shot.
Etete was involved in the action again at the start of the second half, glancing a header just wide as the Cobblers continued to look a real threat from set pieces.
Wiredu was denied by a superb save from Roberts as Colchester tried to up the tempo, the Cobblers keeper at full-stretch to turn the ball behind. Danny Rose came on for Etete in the first change made by Jon Brady before Freddie Sears and Luke Hannant came on in a double change for the U’s.
With the game now opening up Nicke Kabamba saw a goal-bound effort deflected behind while substitute Sears, clean through on goal, was denied by another top save from Roberts.
Hoskins volleyed just over as the Cobblers looked to seal the win but when Horsfall was shown a straight red card for handball they would have to see out the final few minutes with only ten men. Sid Nelson replaced Joseph Mills in a re-shuffle, the Cobblers having to dig deep to hold onto the three points.
A goal-mouth scramble almost lead to a Colchester equaliser in stoppage time but the ten men survived with Roberts also saving from Alan Judge to ensure a hard fought victory.
COLCHESTER MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 2
CORNERS: (1) 6
FOULS: (6) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (8) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1