EFL YOUTH ALLIANCE LEAGUE SOUTH EAST
Saturday January 22nd, 11.30am
Whitbread Sports Ground
LEYTON ORIENT UNDER 18S 1
Ebraima Davies 15
NORTHAMPTON TOWN UNDER 18S 1
Reece Irwin 40
Cobblers: Callum Cook (sub Tom Ladyman 71), Brad Smith-Howes, Reece Irwin, Josh Tomlinson, Courtney Lashley (sub Jamari Hart 86), Ethan Lack, Dylan Hill, Miguel Ngwa, Rico Duggan (sub Jacob Scott 66), Jack Connor, Kenny Ndefo (sub Finn Amidi 90)
Sub not used: David Sarpong
Northampton Town Under 18s drew 1-1 away to Leyton Orient in the EFL Youth Alliance League South East on Saturday.
Reece Irwin scored the young Cobblers’ equaliser five minutes before the break after they fell behind to Ebraima Davies’ early goal.
Coach Shane Goddard made two changes to the team that progressed to the Northamptonshire FA David Joyce Cup final nine days ago.
Josh Tomlinson and Rico Duggan replaced David Sarpong and captain Peter Abimbola in the starting lineup. Dylan Hill took the armband.
The Cobblers were first to threaten, Kenny Ndefo volleying just wide from 20 yards.
They went a goal down after a quarter-of-an-hour, though, when Davies finished from Charlie Pegrum’s square ball.
Orient almost doubled their lead soon after, but Mert Apat headed Zecharia Obiero’s floated free kick over from close range.
However, the visitors were back on level terms before the interval when Irwin powered home a header from Miguel Ngwa’s cross.
They came close to turning the game around early in the second half, but Ngwa shot a yard wide from Duggan’s lay-off.
Tom Ladyman replaced Callum Cook in the Cobblers’ goal with 20 minutes to go. He was instantly called into action, saving a header from six yards.
The final chance fell to the Cobblers deep into added time, but Ethan Lack’s shot from late substitute Finn Amidi’s cutback was held by goalkeeper Henry Sworder.
The youth team travel to Gillingham next week.
LEYTON ORIENT MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (8) 9
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (11) 21
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 5
CORNERS: (0) 2
FOULS: (6) 18
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1