Northampton Town 2 Colchester United 1
JOHNSTONE'S PAINT TROPHY
Tuesday October 9th, 7.45pm
Sixfields
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Adebayo Akinfenwa 51 pen
Henoc Mukendi 53
COLCHESTER UNITED 1
Freddie Sears 31
Attendance: 1,561 (174 away fans)
Cobblers: Shane Higgs (sub Dean Snedker 44), Chris Hackett, Kelvin Langmead, David Artell, Joe Widdowson, Henoc Mukendi, Ishmel Demontagnac (sub Lewis Wilson 74), Ben Tozer, Kemar Roofe (sub Lewis Hornby 61), Alex Nicholls, Adebayo Akinfenwa.
Subs not used: Louis Moult, Claudio Dias
Colchester: Mark Cousins, Magnus Okunghae (sub Tom Eastman 46), Matt Heath, Karl Duguid, Clinton Morrison, Freddie Sears, Marcus Bean (sub Alex Gilbey 46), Ian Henderson, Anthony Wordsworth (sub Drey Wright 69), Ben Coker, John White.
Subs not used: Gavin Massey, Carl Pentney.
Referee: Mr O Langford
Booked:
Cobblers: Ishmel Demontagnac (68, 1st of the season)
Colchester: none
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
Colchester: Clinton Morrison (90)
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.
Shane Higgs returned to the starting eleven for the first time in more than nine months following a lengthy injury lay-off. David Artell, Ishmel Demontagnac and Henoc Mukendi also came into the side with youth teamers Claudio Dias and Lewis Hornby named among the substitutes. Chris Hackett filled in at right-back with both John Johnson and Danny East out injured.
In the opening quarter of an hour Karl Duguid spurned a glorious opportunity to give Colchester the lead, bundling over from only four-yards out while Higgs made a good save to tip over a shot from former Cobblers midfielder Ian Henderson.
Kemar Roofe saw a shot saved by Mark Cousins while Kelvin Langmead had to be alert to deny Clinton Morrison. Ishmel Demontagnac found Adebayo Akinfenwa with a cutely delivered free-kick but his header struck the bar. Higgs then made another good save to deny Marcus Bean from 18-yards.
Colchester then took the lead on 31 minutes, Freddie Sears with a well-taken volley into the bottom corner.
The Cobblers were forced into making a change just before the break with Dean Snedker replacing the unfortunate Shane Higgs who went off having taken an earlier knock to the head.
Snedker made a great save at the start of the second half to prevent Morrison doubling the U’s lead.
Adebayo Akinfenwa equalised from the penalty spot soon after, the spot kick awarded for a foul on Kemar Roofe.
Henoc Mukendi then put the Cobblers in front on 53 minutes, his glancing header from a Roofe cross going in off the post.
Aidy Boothroyd made a change on 61 minutes, Lewis Hornby coming on to make his debut in place of Roofe. Lewis Wilson came on for Demontagnac in the Cobblers final change.
Alex Nicholls curled a shot just wide as the game entered the final few minutes. That proved to be the last real chance of the night and to make matters even worse for the side from Essex Clinton Morrison was shown a straight red card deep into stoppage time for an apparent elbow on David Artell.
No matter as the Cobblers secured a 2-1 victory over their League One opponents and with it progression through to the next round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 4
CORNERS: (2) 8
FOULS: (3) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 4
COLCHESTER MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 7
CORNERS: (6) 8
FOULS: (7) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.