Northampton Town Under 18s won 2-1 at home to Milton Keynes Dons in the EFL Youth Alliance South East on Saturday morning.
Harry Guess and Neo Dobson scored the young Cobblers’ goals as they earned a victory on the final matchday of the regular season.
Coach Shane Goddard made two changes to the team that lost away to Cambridge United last week, as Jacob Scott and Reuben Wyatt replaced Jozef Baxter and Joziah Barnett in the starting lineup.
The hosts dominated the first half and created two clear-cut chances in the opening quarter-of-an-hour. Wyatt played a low ball across goal and Jesse Bedford made a one-handed diving save to deny Dobson’s sweep towards the bottom corner and Charlie Carroll fired over having intercepted Jack Burke’s loose pass in the area.
The Cobblers opened the scoring 10 minutes later when Kiantay Licorish-Mullings’ long throw was cleared to the edge of the box and Guess fired a low strike home.
Licorish-Mullings was adjudged to have impeded Isaac Olaleye in the area soon after, and the forward slotted home from the penalty spot to equalise with MK Dons’ first opportunity of the contest.
Dobson had a great chance to restore his side’s lead before the break, reaching Matthew Ireland’s flick-on but scuffing wide from close range.
The forward made amends on the hour mark when his header from James Owen’s chip crossed the line before being cleared.
He almost doubled his tally to secure all three points going into the final 10 minutes as he controlled ‘keeper Bedford’s clearance on the edge of the area, but he shot wide on the turn.
The visitors threatened numerous times in the closing stages, substitute Corvell Pickering volleying their best opportunity wide at the back post, but the Cobblers held on to win by a single goal.
The youth team’s Merit League fixtures will be released in due course.
Cobblers: Marcus Bald, Josh Rayfield, Tom Cartwright, Kiantay Licorish-Mullings, Matthew Ireland, Reuben Wyatt, Jacob Scott, Harry Guess, James Owen, Neo Dobson, Charlie Carroll
Substitutes: Elliot Smith, George Daldy, Archie Murray, Joziah Barnett, Jamari Hart