EFL YOUTH ALLIANCE LEAGUE SOUTH EAST
Saturday February 5th 2022, 10.30am
Moulton College
NORTHAMPTON TOWN UNDER 18S 5
Jack Connor 10
Kenny Ndefo 12, 49, 76
Josh Brown 80
AFC WIMBLEDON UNDER 18S 3
Marcel Campbell 42
Archie Stevens 58
Ben Mason 86
Cobblers: Tom Ladyman, Brad Smith-Howes (sub Conor Thomas, 90), Tom Cartwright, Josh Brown, Ayo Lekuti, Courtney Lashley, Ethan Lack (sub Jacob Scott 76), Miguel Ngwa (sub Kai O’Keeffe 87), Dylan Hill, Jack Connor, Kenny Ndefo (sub Rico Duggan 78)
Sub not used: Marcus Bald
Northampton Town Under 18s won 5-3 at home to top-of-the-table AFC Wimbledon in their penultimate EFL Youth Alliance League South East fixture on Saturday morning.
Kenny Ndefo scored a hat-trick and Jack Connor and Josh Brown headed in the young Cobblers’ other goals as they extended their unbeaten run to four games in all competitions.
Coach Shane Goddard made two changes to the team that beat Gillingham last week, as Brown and Ayo Lekuti replaced Reece Irwin and Jacob Scott in the starting lineup.
The Cobblers raced into a two-goal lead early on.
Connor flicked his eighth in six games into the bottom corner before Ndefo shrugged off a defender and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Harry Griffiths.
Marcel Campbell pulled one back before the break, finding the far corner with a deflected shot that looped over Tom Ladyman.
Ndefo restored the Cobblers’ two-goal advantage with his second shortly after the interval, a spectacular bicycle kick that flew into the top corner.
Archie Stevens halved the deficit on the hour mark, breaking through one-on-one and slotting past Ladyman.
However, two goals within minutes of each other put the Cobblers back in control.
Connor had an effort saved and Ndefo converted the rebound to complete his treble and Brown headed into the empty net after substitute Scott hit the crossbar.
Wimbledon captain Ben Mason side-footed in a late consolation from a cut-back, but the Cobblers held on to a deserved win that ended the visitors’ three-game unbeaten run in the league.
The youth team end the regular season at home to MK Dons next week. Their opponents sit at the foot of the table as it stands.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 2
CORNERS: (2) 3
FOULS: (4) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2
AFC WIMBLEDON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 1
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (3) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1