SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday October 1st, 3.00pm
County Ground
SWINDON TOWN 1
Jonny Williams 61
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Ben Fox 67
Mitch Pinnock 88
Attendance: 9,789 (614 Cobblers fans)
Swindon: Solomon Brynn, Remeao Hutton, Tom Clayton (sub Ciaran Brennan 84), Louis Reed (sub Ellis Iandolo 61), Ben Gladwin, Jonny Williams, Ronan Darcy, Luke Jephcott (sub Tyrese Shade 77), Frazer Blake-Tracey, Angus MacDonald, Jacob Wakeling
Subs not used: Connor Brann, Ricky Aguilar, Marcel Lavinier, Morgan Roberts
Cobblers: Lee Burge, Harvey Lintott, Ali Koiki (sub Danny Hylton 45), Sam Sherring, Jon Guthrie, Jack Sowerby, Marc Leonard, Mitch Pinnock, Louis Appere (sub Ben Fox 54), Ryan Haynes, Kieron Bowie (sub Akin Odimayo 90)
Subs not used: Jonny Maxted, Peter Abimbola, Liam Cross
Referee: Alan Young
Booked:
Swindon: Louis Reed (57), Frazer Blake-Tracey (67)
Cobblers: Jon Brady (45), Jon Guthrie (62, 3rd)
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:
Swindon: 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.
Jon Brady was without top goalscorer Sam Hoskins for the trip to Swindon with Hoskins, Josh Eppiah and Max Dyche all ruled out through illness, joining the already lenghty absentee list.
On a blustery afternoon in Wiltshire, the Cobblers started on the offensive and with just over a quarter of an hour played were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Louis Appere was brought down in the area. Subsequent replays showed a clear push on Appere with the Cobblers rightly aggrieved not to be awarded a spot kick.
In a first half with very few clear cut chances, Jon Guthrie made an important interception to deny Jacob Wakeling and Ronan Darcy was unable to convert a cross into the box from Luke Jephcott as Swindon ended the first 45 strongly.
Brady, already without a number of his first team squad due to injury, was dealt a further blow in first half stoppage time when Ali Koiki was unable to continue after picking up a head injury, Danny Hylton coming on for the last few seconds of the first half.
Sam Sherring blocked a shot from Jonny Williams early in the second half before Ben Fox came on for Appere. Mitch Pinnock then fired over after being played in by Hylton in a good chance for the Cobblers.
In a tight game Swindon took the lead just after the hour mark, Jonny Williams making a good run into the area before curling the ball home.
The Cobblers weren’t behind for long though, Ben Fox heading in a Pinnock free kick to level the scores. Bowie then saw a shot from the edge of the area deflected behind as Brady’s side went close to a quickfire second goal.
Fox flashed a header just wide from a Pinnock corner as the Cobblers pushed for a second goal and on 88 minutes those two players combined to put the Cobblers in front, Pinnock in the right place at the right time to turn in Fox’s cross.
Angus MacDonald headed against the outside of the post in stoppage time as Swindon tried to rescue a point but the Cobblers continued their winning streak having turned the game around.
SWINDON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 2
CORNERS: (9) 6
FOULS: (10) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (4) 4
FOULS: (10) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1