FA CUP SPONSORED BY E.ON ROUND ONE REPLAY
Tuesday November 20th, 7.45pm
Sixfields

MATCH SPONSOR
Cobblers Bet

MATCHBALL SPONSOR
Claret & White Financial Services

PROGRAMME SPONSOR
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Attendance: 2,895 (209 away fans)

Cobblers:  Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE*, Danny JACKMAN, Mark HUGHES, Liam DOLMAN,  Joe BURNELL, Bradley JOHNSON, Andy HOLT (sub Daniel JONES 85), Andy KIRK, Colin LARKIN, Poul HUBERTZ (sub Sam AISTON 77)
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Brett JOHNSON, Danny MAY

Darlington: David STOCKDALE, Alan WHITE (sub Kevin BURGESS 69), Steve FOSTER, Clark KELTIE (sub Micky CUMMINS 71), Rob PURDIE (sub Pawel ABBOTT 63), Julian JOACHIM, Ricky RAVENHILL, Gregg BLUNDELL, Scott WISEMAN, Tommy WRIGHT, John BRACKSTONE
Substitutes not used: Andy OAKES, Kevin McBRIDE

Referee: Mr P Melin

* MAN OF THE MATCH

Booked:
Cobblers: none
Darlington: Gregg BLUNDELL (53) 

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
Darlington: 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 welcomed Darlington to Sixfields for this FA Cup first round replay. Stuart Gray made three changes to the side that had been beaten at Crewe with Mark Hughes, Bradley Johnson and Poul Hubertz replacing Ryan Gilligan and the ineligible Guy Branston and Alex Russell.

The heavy rain had ceased by the time kick off arrived, and it was a chilly November evening that greeted the two teams. Darlington have kept six clean sheets in 8 matches away from home this season, but it was the Cobblers who were first on the attack, Poul Hubertz heading Danny Jackman's 2nd minute corner wide of the near post.

Andy Holt's 11th minute cross caused confusion in the Darlington area, the ball being only cleared to the edge of the box where Bradley Johnson's powerful shot looked to have beaten Stockdale, but the visiting keeper was able to grab the ball at the second attempt, right on the goal line.

Darlington had struggled to get out of their half for the first 20 minutes, but from their first corner of the game Steve Foster headed just over the cross bar, while at the other end a forceful run from Colin Larkin on 28 minutes ended with a shot into the sidenetting.

Stockdale made a save after Bradley Johnson had flicked on a Larkin free kick to Andy Kirk, before the Cobblers had the lead on 35 minutes. Larkin's cross was flicked on by Hubertz, and the presence of the big Dane was enough to make Stockdale spill the ball and Andy Kirk drove home.

Bradley Johnson made it two after a spell of Cobblers pressure. A deep cross from Joe Burnell was laid back by Hubertz for Johnson to drive home from the edge of the penalty area.

Poul Hubertz hit the post in first half stoppage time with a shot on the turn as the Cobblers ended the first half in total control.

Mark Bunn touched a drive from Tommy Wright over the bar in the early moments of the second half, (but a goal kick was awarded denying the Cobblers keeper official credit for a very good save), although the referee did give a corner from the next Darlington move in an equally debatable decision.

Gregg Blundell was booked on 53 minutes after pushing Bradley Johnson, while soon afterwards Mark Hughes had a shot saved by Stockdale.

Colin Larkin shot wide on 58 minutes after Danny Jackman had released Andy Kirk, the recovering Alan White diverted the ball into Larkin's path but his shot was off target.

A neat touch from Poul Hubertz created an opening for himself but the finish was off target, before Pawel Abbott came on for Rob Purdie for the visitors.

Kirk then scooped a shot wide of the near post from a Hubertz cross, before Stockdale clearly tipped a Bradley Johnson shot over the bar after the Danish striker had played the midfielder in - decision: goal kick.

Kevin Burgess replaced Alan White in their second change, before their final swap saw Micky Cummins introduced for Clark Keltie.

A superb piece of skill from Colin Larkin released Andy Kirk in a Cobblers break on 73 minutes, but the shot from the Cobblers striker was deflected against the post and behind for a corner. From the resulting flag kick Jason Crowe had the ball in the net, but the referee ruled there had been a foul on Stockdale.

Sam Aiston came on for Hubertz in the Cobblers first change, before Daniel Jones replaced Holt.

Tommy Wright pulled a goal back deep into injury time with a far post header, but the Cobblers passage into round 2 had already been secured thanks to those first half goals.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 11
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 9
CORNERS: (4) 7
FOULS: (2) 13
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2

DARLINGTON MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (2) 4
FOULS: (6) 11
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.

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