Northampton Town v Cheltenham Town
NPOWER LEAGUE 2
Saturday December 8th
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Adebayo Akinfenwa 2
Billy Jones 13 og
CHELTENHAM TOWN 3
Darren Carter 24
Chris Zebroski 27
Darryl Duffy 80
Attendance: 4,625 (264 away fans)
Cobblers: Lee Nicholls, Ben Tozer, Kelvin Langmead, Clarke Carlisle, Joe Widdowson (sub Danny East 80), Chris Hackett, Emyr Huws, Ben Harding, Lewis Hornby (sub Clive Platt 64), Adebayo Akifenwa, Ishmel Demontagnac (sub Jake Robinson 63).
Subs not used: Dean Snedker, Anthony Charles, Henoc Mukendi, Louis Moult.
Cheltenham: Scott Brown, Keith Lowe, Billy Jones, Darren Carter, Steve Elliott, Shaun Harrad (sub Kaid Mohamed 72), Alan Bennett, Russ Penn, Jake Taylor (sub Marlon Pack 90), Sido Jombati, Chris Zebroski (sub Darryl Duffy 72).
Subs not used, Sam Deering, Jermaine McGlashan, Connor Roberts, Lawson D'Ath.
Referee: Mr A Davies
Booked:
Cobblers: Ishmel Demontagnac (49, 5th of the season, misses Torquay), Joe Widdowson (56, 6th)
Cheltenham: Keith Lowe (69)
5 cautions on or before 31 December; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Cheltenham: none
Sending offs: 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.
Clarke Carlisle, Chris Hackett, Lewis Hornby and Adebayo Akinfenwa all came back into the side as the Cobblers returned to league action. Former Town striker Shaun Harrad started for Cheltenham.
Akinfenwa gave the Cobblers the lead after just 61 seconds, sidefooting the ball home after a lovely flowing move involving Ishmel Demontagnac and Emyr Huws.
With the Cobblers continuing to rampage forward in the opening minutes, Demontagnac volleyed straight at Scott Brown. Lee Nicholls then did well at the other end to tip a Keith Lowe header on to the crossbar.
The Cobblers doubled their lead from a Ben Tozer long throw on 13 minutes, the ball eventually squirming in off Robins defender Billy Jones.
Hornby then tried an audacious lob from 40-yards but Brown just about got back to palm the ball onto the bar.
Darren Carter pulled a goal back for Cheltenham on 24 minutes, finishing well after a neat cut-back from Chris Zebroski.
Zebroski then quickly made it 2-2, heading in from a Jones free-kick.
Hornby volleyed over on 44 minutes before Akinfenwa headed wide in first half stoppage time.
Shaun Harrad fired just wide for the Robins at the start of the second half, but as the Cobblers wrestled back the initiative, Akinfenwa struck the bar following another Tozer throw with Demontagnac’s follow-up effort blocked by the Cheltenham defence.
Aidy Boothroyd made a double change on 64 minutes, Jake Robinson and Clive Platt coming on for Demontagnac and Hornby.
Brown did well to save a fiercely driven shot from Akinfenwa on 76 minutes with the Cobblers continuing to push forward. At the other end meanwhile Lee Nicholls saved a Billy Jones free-kick.
Darryl Duffy put Cheltenham in front for the first time with a whipped shot from just inside the area. Danny East then replaced Joe Widdowson in the Cobblers final change.
Hackett found the side netting late on but despite pressing hard the Cobblers couldn’t find the equaliser that on the balance of play their performance probably deserved.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1
FOULS: (8) 17
CORNERS: (1) 2
CHELTENHAM MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (5) 16
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 5
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this