JOHNSTONE'S PAINT TROPHY ROUND 1
Tuesday September 4th, 7.45pm
Kenilworth Road
LUTON TOWN 2
Don HUTCHISON 12, Paul PESCHISOLIDO 48
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 2,532 (373 Cobblers fans)
Luton Town: Dean BRILL, Alan GOODALL, Don HUTCHISON, Chris PERRY, David BELL (sub Paul McVEIGH 21), Steve ROBINSON, Ahmet BRKOVIC, Drew TALBOT (sub Paul PESCHISOLIDO 46), Calvin ANDREW (sub Dean MORGAN 84), Keith KEANE, Jaroslaw FOJUT
Substitutes not used: Chris COYNE, Stephen O'LEARY
Cobblers: Mark BUNN, Danny MAY, Liam DOLMAN, Mark HUGHES, Chris DOIG (sub Jason CROWE 28), Daniel JONES, Alex DYER (sub Ryan GILLIGAN 68), Alex RUSSELL, Bradley JOHNSON, Poul HUBERTZ (sub Andy KIRK 55), Colin LARKIN
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Andy HOLT
Referee: Mr R Lee
Booked:
Luton Town: Don HUTCHISON (37), Steve ROBINSON (45), Keith KEANE (78)
Cobblers: Poul HUBERTZ (49, 4th of the season)
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:
Luton Town: 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 Kenilworth Road for their third away game in just 7 days. This time the competition was the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Stuart Gray made 5 changes to the side that had picked up a point at Leyton Orient with Danny May, Liam Dolman, Alex Dyer, debutant Alex Russell and Colin Larkin coming in for Jason Crowe, Joe Burnell, Ian Henderson, Andy Holt and Andy Kirk.
David Bell curled over the bar in the 5th minute as the hosts enjoyed the first effort at goal of the evening, while Danny May sent in a dipping shot at the other end that did not come down quite enough.
The home side had the lead following a 12th minute corner. David Bell's right wing delivery was met by Calvin Andrew and although his effort was blocked, Don Hutchison was in the right place to score from close range.
That lead was almost doubled moments later, but Mark Bunn made a superb save to push Ahmet Brkovic's header away from another Bell corner. Luton made a change on 21 minutes with Paul McVeigh replacing Bell.
The Cobblers made an early substitution themselves, with Jason Crowe coming on for Chris Doig.
Alex Dyer fired a shot over the bar on 33 minutes after a forceful run from midfield, before a delightful ball from the classy Alex Russell played Bradley Johnson in on the Luton goal, but his cross shot was hacked away by the recovering Alan Goodall.
Don Hutchison was booked on 37 minutes after becoming the latest player to send Daniel Jones to ground with a late challenge, before Poul Hubertz had the ball in the net but his joy was cut short by an offside flag.
Steve Robinson was cautioned after a robust foul on Johnson as the first half drew to a close.
Luton made their second change at the start of the second half, with Paul Peschisolido replacing Drew Talbot.
The Cobblers started the second half on the front foot, and Bradley Johnson sent an early shot wide of Dean Brill's left hand post, but soon afterwards Peschisolido had found the back of the net to double the Hatters advantage, firing home first time beyond Bunn from Steve Robinson's pass.
The Cobblers thought they had won a penalty moments later when Hubertz was tripped by Chris Perry as he broke clear of the last man, but despite what looked like the clearest of stonewall penalties the referee had other ideas and booked Hubertz either for diving or for comments made.
Hubertz was then taken off to be replaced by Andy Kirk, before the Cobblers final change saw Ryan Gilligan come on for Dyer.
Russell and Bradley Johnson both drove over the bar as Stuart Gray's side looked for a way back into the tie, before Keith Keane was booked for his latest foul on Jones.
Calvin Andrew was replaced by Dean Morgan in Luton's last swap, before Ryan Gilligan saw his effort pushed behind for a corner by the diving Dean Brill.
You knew for sure that this was not going to be the Cobblers night when Jason Crowe volleyed over the bar following a Mark Hughes knock back from a Jones cross.
That was that, and the Cobblers interest in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for the 2007/2008 season came to an end.
LUTON TOWN MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 4
CORNERS: (3) 6
FOULS: (8) 16
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 12
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (4) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 6
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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