The Northampton Town Football and Education Programme Elite squad lost 3-1 at home to Chippenham Town in the National Football Youth League South Premier Division on Wednesday afternoon.
Gabriel Badero scored the Cobblers’ goal as they ended the year with a defeat.
The hosts were on the back foot in the opening stages, Kyran Yeomans tipping over a free header from a wide set-piece.
Despite being second-best in terms of possession, the Cobblers created two promising opportunities before the half-an-hour mark.
Rojus Kuzminskas held the ball up in the box and laid it off to Badero whose effort was blocked on the line, and Mmenim Ekop’s cutback following a drive down the left wing was diverted over the bar by a defender.
Chippenham broke the deadlock a few minutes later when a forward squared for a teammate, who side-footed into the roof of the net.
The lead was doubled soon after as an attacker found a teammate out wide and he slid home across goal.
The visitors extended their advantage early in the second half, a forward running onto a loose ball and slotting into the bottom corner.
The Cobblers were still in the contest, and they pulled a goal back going into the final 20 minutes when Badero cut inside and found the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Substitute Daniel Collin-Kolawole forced the ‘keeper into a save with his feet after he dribbled towards the near post and his low cross deflected off a defender, but the three-goal deficit proved to be too much for the hosts to recover from in the end.
Cobblers: Kyran Yeomans, Leon Considine, Jay Hudson, Jack Culwick, Louey Franks, Mmenim Ekop, Rojus Kuzminskas, Gabriel Badero, Jack Anderton-Gill, James Owen, Jahmai Akande
Substitutes: Billy Panter, Joel Adjekum, Daniel Collin-Kolawole, Josiah McWilliams