SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Tuesday August 16th, 7.45pm
Broadfield Stadium
CRAWLEY TOWN 2
James Balagizi 4, 61
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 3
Sam Hoskins 13, 23
Kieron Bowie 90
Attendance: 2,471 (355 Cobblers fans)
Crawley: Corey Addai, Tony Craig, James Tilley (sub Teddy Jenks 63), Jack Powell, Tom Nichols, Ashley Nadesan (sub Kwesi Appiah 79), Brandon Mason, Manny Adebowale (sub Harry Ransom 79), James Balagizi, Jake Hessenthaler, Mazeed Ogungbo
Subs not used: Roshan Greensall, Jayden Davis, Rafiq Khaleel, Owen Gallacher
Cobblers: Lee Burge, Harvey Lintott, Tyler Magloire (sub Ryan Haynes 68), Jon Guthrie, Ali Koiki, Sam Hoskins, Shaun McWilliams, Ben Fox (sub Danny Hylton 68), Marc Leonard, Mitch Pinnock, Louis Appere (sub Kieron Bowie 72)
Subs not used: Jonny Maxted, Max Dyche, Peter Abimbola, Liam Cross
Referee: Stephen Martin
Booked:
Crawley: none
Cobblers: Danny Hylton (90, 1st of the season)
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:
Crawley: none
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.
On a night where Sam Hoskins made his 300th appearance for Northampton Town, only the 15th player in the club’s history to achieve that feat, boss Jon Brady made two changes for the midweek trip to Crawley with Marc Leonard and Ben Fox coming in for Jack Sowerby, who missed out with a knock, and Danny Hylton.
Crawley struck early on and had the lead inside the opening five minutes, Liverpool loanee James Balagizi on the end of a ball into the box to finish from six-yards.
Ben Fox shot over and Louis Appere was denied by a close-range block after being played in by Mitch Pinnock as the Cobblers mounted a response and they were back on level terms on 13 minutes, who else but Sam Hoskins with an unstoppable strike from just inside the area to beat Corey Addai.
It was turning out to be quite the night for Hoskins on his milestone appearance and he was on the scoresheet again midway through the first half, curling home a terrific free kick to put the Cobblers in front and put himself in the club’s top 20 list of all time goalscorers.
Hoskins went close to completing his hat-trick at the start of the second half but after cutting inside two players with a driving run into the penalty area his shot was deflected behind.
Lee Burge made a good save to deny Ashley Nadesan one-on-one as the home side pressed for an equaliser and with just over an hour played it was 2-2, Balagizi firing home as Crawley caught the Cobblers on the counter-attack.
For the second time in the half Burge saved from Nadesan as Crawley pushed for a third goal but the Cobblers were still a threat going forward themselves, Hoskins seeing a shot blocked by Brandon Mason and Jon Guthrie having a header saved by Addai.
The game seemed to be heading for a draw but there was a sting in the tail and it was the Cobblers who clinched all three points with a dramatic winner in stoppage time, substitute Kieron Bowie with a terrific finish, that man Hoskins providing the assist.
CRAWLEY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 1
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (4) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 4
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 2
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (3) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 5