COCA-COLA LEAGUE 1
Saturday September 1st, 3pm
Matchroom Stadium
LEYTON ORIENT 2
Adam CHAMBERS 52, Tamika MKANDAWIRE 57
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Poul HUBERTZ 15, Chris DOIG 19
Attendance: 5,170 (634 Cobblers fans)
Leyton Orient: Stuart NELSON, Stephen PURCHES (sub Jason DEMETRIOU 12), Alton THELWELL, Tamika MKANDAWIRE, JJ MELLIGAN, Adam CHAMBERS, Wayne GRAY, Wayne CORDEN (sub Efe ECHANOMI 83), Paul TERRY, Adam BOYD, Aiden PALMER.
Substitutes not used: Charlie DANIELS, Glenn MORRIS, Sam OJI
Cobblers: Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE, Daniel JONES, Mark HUGHES, Chris DOIG, Ian HENDERSON (sub Colin LARKIN 60), Joe BURNELL (sub Ryan GILLIGAN 78), Bradley JOHNSON, Andy HOLT (sub Liam DOLMAN 71), Andy KIRK, Poul HUBERTZ
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Brett JOHNSON
Referee: Mr A MARRINER
Booked:
Leyton Orient: Jason DEMETRIOU (90)
Cobblers: Ian HENDERSON (31, 2nd of the season), Daniel JONES (45, 3rd), Jason CROWE (47, 3rd), Poul HUBERTZ (50, 3rd)
5 cautions on or before 28 February; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 8 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Leyton Orient: none
Cobblers: 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.
Northampton Town travelled to Leyton Orient for their latest Coca-Cola League 1 fixture. The home side were the early table toppers, having claimed maximum points from their opening 3 games.
Stuart Gray made one change to the side that had been beaten at Middlesbrough. Ian Henderson returned in place of Alex Dyer. New signing Alex Russell, who had been training with Bristol City in Sheffield as late as Friday afternoon as they prepared for their game at Sheffield Wednesday, was not considered.
The first chance of the game fell to Bradley Johnson on 3 minutes, but the midfielder's rising shot from Poul Hubertz's knock down was over the bar.
The Orient defence struggled to clear an 8th minute corner from Daniel Jones and the spell of pressure eventually culminated in the Wolves loan man firing in a powerful shot just wide of Stuart Nelson's right hand post.
Martin Ling was forced into an early change, with Stephen Purches being replaced by Jason Demetriou.
The Cobblers did take the lead on the quarter of an hour mark. A left wing corner from Daniel Jones was headed beyond Stuart Nelson by Poul Hubertz.
That lead was doubled on 19 minutes with a second goal from a corner after superb work from Bradley Johnson to win the flag kick. A Jones delivery from the right was not cleared by the home defence and Chris Doig was in the right place to steer home a left footed shot into the far corner.
Mark Bunn made a superb block to deny Adam Boyd on 30 minutes after the striker got clear of the Cobblers defence, while as play switched to the other end of the field Ian Henderson was cautioned for what the referee judged to be a dive.
Wayne Gray broke clear of the Cobblers defence on 41 minutes and found himself one on one with Mark Bunn, only for the young keeper to make a very good save and push the ball away for a corner.
Andy Kirk fired just wide of the target from 25 yards after picking up a clearance from Aiden Palmer, before Daniel Jones was cautioned for a trip on Demetriou. As the Cobblers tried to clear the pressure from that free kick, Adam Chambers fired a long range shot against the outside of the post.
Jason Crowe was booked 3 minutes after half time for what appeared to be comments made to the referee, and the name of Poul Hubertz followed soon afterwards after he pulled back Chambers.
The home side pulled a goal back on 52 minutes. Jason Demetriou's shot was pushed away by Mark Bunn and Adam Chambers was on hand to net the rebound.
Spurred on by that, Orient pushed men forward and Bunn did brilliantly to finger tip away a chip from Paul Terry, before making another good block from Adam Boyd's powerful overhead kick.
Andy Kirk sent a shot beyond the far post from the angle after a slide rule pass from Henderson had found him level with the last defender.
The home side were level on 57 minutes, Tamika Mkandawire scoring via a deflection through a crowded area after the Cobblers had struggled to clear a corner.
During the play that lead to the goal, Poul Hubertz had been lying injured, and he had to leave the field for treatment. He returned wearing the number 50 shirt.
Stuart Gray then made his first change, with Colin Larkin replacing Ian Henderson.
After Bradley Johnson had fired over from a Hubertz knock back, Liam Dolman came on in place of Andy Holt.
In the Cobblers final change, Ryan Gilligan was introduced at the expense of Joe Burnell.
Orient's second substitution saw Efe Echanomi replace Wayne Corden on 83 minutes.
The second half continued to be a very open affair with play switching from end to end, and Nelson went down low to save Bradley Johnson's free kick.
Demetriou was booked for tugging back Ryan Gilligan in injury time, before Nelson pushed away a drive from Jones to ensure a quite pulsating game ended level at 2-2.
LEYTON ORIENT MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 11
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 9
CORNERS: (3) 7
FOULS: (3) 5
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 9
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (7) 13
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 5
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.
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