SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Friday April 15th, 3.00pm
Boundary Park
OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Jon Guthrie 44
Louis Appere 66
Attendance: 5,789 (456 Cobblers fans)
Oldham: Danny Rogers, Jordan Clarke, Sam Hart, Harrison McGahey, Carl Piergianni, Nicky Adams, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Alex Hunt (sub Kyle Jameson 67), Christopher Missilou, Junior Luamba (sub Jamie Hopcutt 70), Tope Obadeyi (sub Benny Couto 73)
Subs not used: Jayson Leutwiler, Raphael Diarra, Will Sutton
Cobblers: Liam Roberts, Aaron McGowan, Fraser Horsfall, Jon Guthrie, Ali Koiki, Jack Sowerby, Shaun McWilliams, Mitch Pinnock, Sam Hoskins (sub Idris Kanu 90), Josh Eppiah (sub Chanka Zimba 85), Louis Appere (sub Danny Rose 79)
Subs not used: Jonny Maxted, Michael Harriman, Joseph Mills, Scott Pollock
Referee: Sam Purkiss
Booked:
Oldham: Kyle Jameson (90)
Cobblers: Jack Sowerby (64, 3rd of the season), Danny Rose (84, 8th), Sam Hoskins (90, 9th), Ali Koiki (90, 6th)
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Oldham: Carl Piergianni (88)
Cobblers: 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.
With the season entering the final furlong, Northampton Town kicked off their Easter weekend double header at Oldham Athletic on Good Friday. Shaun McWilliams and Ali Koiki came back into the side while Idris Kanu was named among the substitutes after recovering from a fractured jaw. Former Cobblers Nicky Adams and Christopher Missilou started for the Latics.
The Cobblers started brightly and when Louis Appere turned home Mitch Pinnock’s cross they thought they had an early lead only for a tight off-side flag to deny them. Danny Rogers then saved from Aaron McGowan at his near post, the Cobblers making all the early running at Boundary Park.
Liam Roberts was called into action for the first time on 36 minutes, making a superb double save to keep the scoreline level.
It was the Cobblers though who deservedly led at the break, Jon Guthrie getting the final touch with his right foot to a Sam Hoskins free-kick.
Carl Piergianni had the ball in the back of the net for Oldham ten minutes into the second half but the goal was disallowed for handball in the build-up.
Louis Appere doubled the Cobblers lead midway through the second half, finishing first-time from Josh Eppiah’s cross from the right.
Appere then had a chance to make it 3-0 but under pressure from Piergianni fired his shot just wide.
Jack Sowerby fired over and Rogers saved from Ali Koiki who had made a terrific forward run as the Cobblers looked to put the game to bed with a third goal.
Latics captain Piergianni was shown a straight red card for an elbow on Guthrie with the 90 minutes nearly up and the game finished 2-0, the Cobblers keeping themselves firmly in the promotion race with four games to play.
OLDHAM MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 3
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (4) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 5
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (4) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 4