COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE
Friday September 7th, 7.45pm
Sixfields
MATCH SPONSOR
Axis Stanley
MATCHBALL SPONSOR
Claret & White
PROGRAMME SPONSOR
www.cobblersbet.co.uk
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Ryan GILLIGAN 50, Andy KIRK 71
DONCASTER ROVERS 0
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Attendance: 5,274 (853 away fans)
Cobblers: Mark BUNN*, Jason CROWE, Daniel JONES (sub Brett JOHNSON 72), Mark HUGHES, Liam DOLMAN, Joe BURNELL (sub Ryan GILLIGAN 22), Alex RUSSELL, Bradley JOHNSON, Andy KIRK, Poul HUBERTZ, Andy HOLT
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Alex DYER, Colin LARKIN
Doncaster: Neil SULLIVAN, James O'CONNOR, Gareth ROBERTS, Brian STOCK, Mark McCAMMON, Adam LOCKWOOD, James HAYTER (sub Martin WOODS 81), Mark WILSON, Richie WELLENS (sub Lewis GUY 74), Matthew MILLS, Gordon GREER (sub Paul HEFFERNAN 75)
Substitutes not used: Sean McDAID, Paul GREEN
Referee: Mr R Shoebridge
* SPONSORS MAN OF THE MATCH
Booked:
Cobblers: Andy KIRK (10, 1st of the season)
Doncaster: James O'CONNOR (21), Martin WOODS (90), Matthew MILLS (90)
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:
Cobblers: none
Doncaster: 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 - minus injury victims Chris Doig, Danny Jackman, Ian Henderson (hamstring) and Giles Coke - welcomed one of League One's promotion favourites to Sixfields for this meeting with Doncaster Rovers.
The away side were bang in form, having won at Swansea City the week before and then scoring 5 against Bradford City in midweek, but it was the Cobblers who began on the attack, with Poul Hubertz firing wide from Andy Holt's 6th minute cross.
On 8 minutes a neat Alex Russell pass played in Andy Kirk but Neil Sullivan was equal to the task, but 2 minutes later Kirk's name was in the book. The referee failed to spot a handball against a Rovers defender before he did see Kirk catch Brian Stock.
For the visitors James O'Connor was booked after catching Daniel Jones in full flight, before the Cobblers were forced into a change with Ryan Gilligan replacing Joe Burnell.
Mark Bunn made a good save from Mark Wilson on 42 minutes, going down low to his right to push the ball away and making sure that the scores remained level at half time.
The Cobblers had the lead 5 minutes after the interval. After a patient build up, Daniel Jones played the ball in to the feet of Ryan Gilligan on the edge of the area, and he placed a delicate chip beyond the reach of Neil Sullivan and into the back of the net.
James O'Connor's 55th minute cross was powerfully met by the head of Mark McCammon but Mark Bunn produced another very good save to beat the ball away, before Mark Hughes made a brave block to deny Mark Wilson.
Bunn made another good save on 57 minutes, this time from Brian Stock, before the Cobblers keeper surpassed himself on 66 minutes and drew a standing ovation from most of the crowd when he somehow held a close range volley from James Hayter after he met a Roberts cross.
The Cobblers lead was doubled on 72 minutes. A half cleared corner was played back in by Bradley Johnson, headed across by Poul Hubertz and Jason Crowe's shot goalwards was helped in from close range by Andy Kirk.
Stuart Gray made his second change before play had restarted, Brett Johnson coming on for Daniel Jones.
Sean O'Driscoll then made a double substitution for Doncaster with Lewis Guy and Paul Heffernan replacing Richie Wellens and Gordon Greer.
Hubertz headed a Bradley Johnson corner wide at the near post on 76 minutes, before Rovers final change saw Martin Woods come on for James Hayter.
Woods was cautioned for catching Jason Crowe as was Matthew Mills for fouling Hubertz as the game entered stoppage time, but it did not matter to the Cobblers who recorded their first league victory of the new season.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 6
CORNERS: (2) 5
FOULS: (8) 16
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
DONCASTER MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 5
CORNERS: (4) 8
FOULS: (7) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0
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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