Eastleigh 4 Northampton Town 1 - the match report
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Saturday July 30th, 3.00pm
Silverlake Stadium
EASTLEIGH 4
33' James Constable
50' 53' Mickael Mandron
60' Scott Wilson
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
78' Shaun McWilliams
Attendance: 757
Booked:
Eastleigh: none
Cobblers: none
Sent off:
Eastleigh: none
Cobblers: none
Eastleigh: Ross Flitney, Joe Partington, Michael Green, Connor Essam, David Pipe, Andy Drury, James Constable, Jai Reason, Jake Howells, Mickael Mandron, Ayo Obileye.
Subs: Ryan Huddart, Adam Dugdale, Yemi Odubade, Ross Lafayette, Adam Dawson, Scott Wilson, Ronald Huth.
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Aaron Phillips, Gabriel Zakuani (sub Shaun McWilliams 46), Rod McDonald, David Buchanan, Lawson D’Ath, Joel Byrom (sub Jason Taylor 58), John-Joe O’Toole, Kenji Gorre (sub Emmanuel Sonnupe, trialist 56) , Harry Beautyman (sub Marc Richards 56), Alex Revell.
Subs not used: David Cornell, Jamie Hall (academy).
The curtain came down on the Cobblers pre-season campaign with a trip to National League side Eastleigh. Kenji Gorre went straight into the side having joined on loan from Swansea while illness ruled out both Zander Diamond and Ryan Cresswell.
Adam Smith saved comfortably from Mickael Mandron after a quiet opening 25 minutes before Kenji Gorre, given the chance to run, fired a shot into the side netting.
A double save from Ross Flitney, denied first Gorre and then Alex Revell with Lawson D’Ath seeing a shot blocked on the follow-up.
The Cobblers were pressing but it was Eastleigh who broke the deadlock on 33 minutes, James Constable tapping in at the back post after Smith could only parry a shot from Mandron.
Smith did well to deny Mandron one-on-one as the home side looked for a quick second while Gorre curled a shot just over the bar on the stroke of half-time having been played in by Revell.
Shaun McWilliams came on for Gabriel Zakuani at half-time with Aaron Phillips switching to centre-half.
Gorre and Revell both had efforts at the start of the half but again it was Eastleigh who found the back of the net, Mickael Mandron converting from a corner that was flicked on at the near post.
Mickael Mandron then added a third, also from a corner, after Adam Smith had initially made a superb save to tip over a shot from Andy Drury.
Spitfires substitute Scott Wilson made it 4-0 on 61 minutes, bundling home a right-wing cross.
Marc Richards just failed to connect with an Emmanuel Sonnupe cross before Alfie Potter made a welcome return from injury to play the last 20 minutes.
Shaun McWilliams headed home from a Potter corner on 78 minutes, Potter himself having done well to earn the set-piece.
Ross Flitney saved with his legs to prevent Sonnupe pulling another goal back for the Cobblers and the game finished 4-1.
EASTLEIGH MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 3
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (2) 5
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 6
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (5) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1