COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE
Monday March 24th, 3pm
Brunton Park
CARLISLE UNITED 2
Danny LIVESEY 50, Marc BRIDGE-WILKINSON 84
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 9,038 (Carlisle United did not confirm the number of Cobblers fans in attendance)
Carlisle: Keiren WESTWOOD, David RAVEN, Marc BRIDGE-WILKINSON, Danny LIVESEY, Peter MURPHY, Chris LUMSDON (sub Paul ARNISON 89), Danny GRAHAM, Simon HACKNEY (sub Danny CARLTON 84), Evan HORWOOD, Grant SMITH, Cleveland TAYLOR (sub Scott DOBIE 73)
Substitutes not used: Chris HOWARTH, Gary MADINE
Cobblers: Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE, Danny JACKMAN (sub Jonathan HAYES 63), Gabor GYEPES (sub Andy HOLT 40), Giles COKE, Adebayo AKINFENWA, Joe BURNELL, Liam DOLMAN, Daniel JONES, Mark LITTLE, Poul HUBERTZ (sub Colin LARKIN 63)
Substitutes not used: Ian HENDERSON, Chris DUNN
Referee: Mr N Swarbrick
Booked:
Carlisle: none
Cobblers: none
10 cautions on or before 8 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Carlisle: 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 made the long Bank Holiday trip to Carlisle United on Easter Monday. Stuart Gray made two changes to the team that had been controversially beaten by Nottingham Forest on Good Friday with Liam Dolman and Giles Coke replacing Andy Holt and Ryan Gilligan.
The size of the task facing the Cobblers was clear, the Cumbrians had not dropped any points at home since September 22nd, and had won 15, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their home games so far this season.
The game kicked off in driving snow, and the first chance of the game went to the home side. Giles Coke was lying injured just outside the penalty area when Danny Graham sent in a shot from a tight angle that struck the near post and bounced away.
Carlisle had started at a tempo, and on 5 minutes Mark Bunn had to tip away a 20 yard drive from Simon Hackney. As the snow eased, Chris Lumsdon shot over the bar from the resulting corner.
Adebayo Akinfenwa shot over the bar on 26 minutes after good work from Daniel Jones, before Giles Coke shot wide after striding through from midfield.
Akinfenwa set up Poul Hubertz on 40 minutes but his shot was blocked but soon afterwards the Cobblers were forced into a change, Andy Holt replacing the limping Gabor Gyepes.
The Cobblers started the second half on the attack, and Carlisle keeper Westwood got behind a drive from Danny Jackman, but the home side had the lead a few minutes later. Simon Hackney's right wing corner was flicked on by Peter Murphy for Danny Livesey to score from close range.
Danny Graham went close to extending that advantage on 59 minutes, but he poked wide of the far post after being picked out by Bridge-Wilkinson.
Stuart Gray made a double change on 63 minutes with Jonathan Hayes and Colin Larkin replacing Poul Hubertz and Danny Jackman.
Grant Smith shot just wide of the near post after 70 minutes, while at the other end Westwood held Joe Burnell's shot from 25 yards.
Scott Dobie came on for Cleveland Taylor as John Ward made his first change, before the Cobblers came very close to an equaliser on 79 minutes. Jonathan Hayes broke out of defence and travelled most of the way down the pitch before releasing Giles Coke with a perfect through ball. The Cobblers midfielder found himself one on one with Westwood and was only denied by the body of the onrushing keeper.
The second change for the home side saw Danny Carlton replace Simon Hackney, and moments later the home side doubled their lead. Mark Little's ball back to Mark Bunn gave Danny Graham the chance to pinch the ball away from the keeper and tee up Marc Bridge-Wilkinson who drove into the net with the Cobblers keeper stranded.
The final change of the game saw Paul Arnison come on for Chris Lumsdon, but the home side had already secured the points to extend further their astonishing home record.
CARLISLE MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 10
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 6
CORNERS: (8) 10
FOULS: (2) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (4) 7
FOULS: (3) 8
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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