Northampton Town Football Club

Reuben Wyatt scored the young Cobblers’ goal as they were defeated by their senior opponents, who are four points clear at the top of the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands table with a game in hand at the time of writing.

 

The first half was fast-paced with both sides pressing the opposing defences into mistakes in possession.

 

The Cobblers forced the first clear chance of the contest. Isaiah Bazeley failed to intercept Harry Guess’ diagonal pass, Josh Rayfield ran onto the loose ball and sent a low cross towards the far post, Dan Cooper mis-controlled and Charlie Carroll’s powerful close-range strike was well-saved by Ash Bodycote who instinctively threw his arm out to stop the effort.

 

Another Cooper mistake led to another opportunity for the visitors midway through the opening period. The defender played a stray pass infield, and Guess picked the ball up, dribbled towards goal and opened-up space for a shot. Bodycote got his body behind the ball to catch it and bring it into his chest.

 

The Bees were a physical outfit and created the majority of their chances by using their size advantage to overpower the Cobblers. The hosts opened the scoring on the half-an-hour mark when Joel Carta received the ball on the turn 30 yards out and fired into the back of the net past the diving Billy Panter.

 

The visitors responded with two well-worked moves before the break. A number of quick passes forced their opponents out of their shape, which allowed Rayfield to play Carroll in down the right channel. The forward rounded the onrushing Bodycote and pulled the ball back across the box, but Matthew Ireland, the closest Cobblers player to the action, was beaten to it by covering defender Dan Forbes.

 

Owen slipped Carroll in down the opposite wing a few minutes later, but the forward was only able to smash into the side-netting from the tight angle.

 

Harborough scored the all-important second goal early in the second half, doubling their lead when Dodzi Agbenu cut the ball back to Connor Kennedy who picked his spot and curled into the far corner from the edge of the area.

 

The Cobblers were still in the game, and they threatened again within a minute of their opponents’ second. Wyatt teed-up Owen whose side-footed effort was beaten away by Bodycote. Kiantay Licorish-Mullings lost an aerial challenge from Owen’s corner moments later, and Wyatt sent a rasping half-volley narrowly wife of the post from 20 yards.

 

The midfielder halved the deficit before the hour mark, taking one touch to control the ball and firing into the top corner from long range in similar fashion to Carta’s opening goal for the hosts.

 

Half-time substitute Francesco Obiagwu was able to use his impressive physical stature to make an impact after the break, and he was involved as the Cobblers came close to finding an equaliser on the counter-attack shortly after Wyatt’s goal. The forward flicked the ball on to beat his man and find Guess, who had Carroll making a run and Obiagwu overlapping ahead of him. He held onto the ball and was stopped by Gary Mulligan’s sliding challenge, but his side quickly regained possession. Owen’s heavy touch took him past the last defender and through on goal, but he put too much on his lob, beating the crossbar as well as the onrushing Bodycote.

 

The visitors’ final opportunity fell heading into the final quarter-of-an-hour, as Rayfield received the ball on the right, drove infield, skilfully beat his marker and hit the woodwork with a strike across goal.

 

Despite giving a good account of themselves through a valiant performance, the Cobblers youngsters were unable to find a leveller as they suffered a narrow defeat away to their Step 4 opponents.

 

Cobblers: Billy Panter, Josh Rayfield, Tom Cartwright, Kiantay Licorish-Mullings, Matthew Ireland, Harry Guess, Jacob Scott, Reuben Wyatt, James Owen, Neo Dobson, Charlie Carroll

 

Substitutes: Elliot Smith, William Ronald, Archie Murray, Joziah Barnett, Ollie Evans, Francesco Obiagwu