EFL YOUTH ALLIANCE MERIT LEAGUE TWO
Saturday April 23rd 2022, 10.30am
Moulton College
NORTHAMPTON TOWN UNDER 18S 0
LUTON TOWN UNDER 18S 1
Millar Mathews-Lewis 73
Cobblers: James Dadge, Brad Smith-Howes (sub Conor Thomas 85), Josh Tomlinson, Tom Cartwright (sub Reece Irwin 46), Jamari Hart, Dylan Hill, Jacob Scott (sub Harry Guess 82), Peter Abimbola, Reuben Wyatt, Miguel Ngwa, Kai O’Keeffe (sub Fin Amidi 74)
Sub not used: Tom Ladyman
Northampton Town lost 1-0 at home to second-placed Luton Town in their penultimate EFL Youth Alliance Merit League Two fixture on Saturday morning.
The Hatters came away with all three points after a wind-affected game of few real chances.
Coach Shane Goddard made four changes for his side’s final home game of the season, as James Dadge, Jamari Hart, Jacob Scott and Reuben Wyatt came into the starting line up.
Neither side created any clear chances in the opening half-an-hour, Luton having the better of play without testing Dadge in the Cobblers’ goal.
The first good opportunity fell to the visitors, Millar Mathews-Lewis driving a low ball across goal which was just out of Ollie Lynch’s reach at the back post.
The Cobblers should have taken the lead with their only chance of the half when Miguel Ngwa intercepted a clearance and laid the ball off to Wyatt, but the midfielder took too long to get a shot away and was eventually dispossessed.
Ngwa broke into the Luton box early in the second half, but his effort was saved and the ball was cleared before Wyatt or Kai O’Keeffe were able to follow-up.
Zack Nelson forced Dadge into a save at his near post on the hour mark, and the visitors broke the deadlock just over 10 minutes later when Mathews-Lewis fired into the far corner.
Brad Smith-Howes’ corner caused all sorts of problems for the Luton defence, but nobody was able to tap home at the back post as the Cobblers searched for a late equaliser.
They end their campaign with the long trip to Bristol Rovers next week.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 1
CORNERS: (2) 3
FOULS: (10) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
LUTON TOWN MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (7) 13
CORNERS: (1) 6
FOULS: (5) 9
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2