PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Wednesday July 25th, 7.45pm
Sixfields

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Ian HENDERSON 77

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 5
Jonathan GREENING 14, Filipe TEIXEIRA 36 and 67, Mark HUGHES 42 og, Kevin PHILLIPS 68.

Attendance: 1,949 (589 away fans)

Cobblers:  Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE, Danny JACKMAN, Bradley JOHNSON, Mark HUGHES, Liam DOLMAN, Ian HENDERSON, Joe BURNELL, Colin LARKIN, Andy KIRK, Andy HOLT
Substitutes: Sam AISTON, Chris DUNN, Ryan GILLIGAN, Danny MAY, James QUINN, Alex DYER, Joe HOWE, Mark HAINES.

WBA: Dean KIELY, Jarred HODGKISS, TININHO, Robert KOREN, Shelton MARTIS, Curtis DAVIES, Zoltan GERA, Jonathan GREENING, Craig BEATTIE, Kevin PHILLIPS, Filipe TEIXEIRA. 
Substitutes: David WORRALL, Luke DANIELS, Josh LABADIE, Adrian MANCHESTER, Michael NARDIELLO, Stuart NICHOLSON

Referee: Mr P Walton

Booked:
Cobblers: none
WBA: none

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
WBA: none

Northampton Town welcomed beaten Championship play off finalists West Bromwich Albion to Sixfields for the second of 3 home pre-season friendlies.

Both managers named strong looking sides for the game, and it was one of Albion's household names who had the first effort at goal of the evening, but a 3rd minute shot from Kevin Phillips was deflected behind by Liam Dolman.

The Cobblers were denied a goalscoring opportunity on 7 minutes when Andy Kirk was pulled back by Shelton Martis when clear on goal, but with this being a pre-season friendly, referee Peter Walton kept his cards in his pocket when awarding a free kick just outside the area. Jackman's free kick was headed behind for a corner, and the Albion defence dealt with the flag kick.

Jonathan Greening gave the visitors the lead in bizarre circumstances on 14 minutes. The Albion skipper fizzed in a low shot that rebounded off the post, against the back of the diving Mark Bunn and rolled in to the net with the Cobblers keeper helpless.

Before the game could re-start, Andy Kirk was replaced by Sam Aiston in an early change for the Cobblers.

Bradley Johnson curled a free kick over the bar on 19 minutes, while at the other end Craig Beattie cut inside before curling an effort too high.

Mark Bunn made a good save to push a Kevin Phillips shot around the post on 32 minutes, but four minutes later the visitors doubled their advantage when Filipe Teixeira curled home a shot from the edge of the area.

Albion's third goal came 3 minutes before half time when Mark Hughes could only head a dangerous cross from Zoltan Gera beyond Bunn.

After going past Shelton Martis in the opening moments of the second half, Colin Larkin was only foiled by a recovering defender, while at the other end of the field Kevin Phillips forced a save out of Mark Bunn.

Craig Beattie found the side netting having been played through on 52 minutes, before the Cobblers best move of the game so far nearly produced a goal on 57 minutes. Larkin and Ian Henderson combined to play the ball in to Bradley Johnson, and he was only denied by a finger tip save from Kiely, the ball being pushed upwards and dropping back on to the roof of the net.

Albion's fourth goal - and Filipe Teixeira's second - came after Mark Bunn had parried a fierce drive from Jonathan Greening, with the WBA man in the right place to slot home into an empty net.

A minute later Kevin Phillips got on the scoresheet when he slid the ball home from close range at the far post, before the Cobblers pulled a goal back through Ian Henderson. Jackman and Holt linked up well down the left, before the former Norwich City man delivered a low finish beyond Kiely from the edge of the area.

Henderson was close to scoring again with 10 minutes to play but Kiely made a diving save, before the same Cobblers player ran round 4 defenders and made his way into the area but was eventually denied by sheer weight of numbers.

Bunn produced a fine low save to deny Beattie at close range on 88 minutes in the final action of note.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 6
CORNERS: (2) 5
FOULS: (4) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 4

WEST BROM MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (9) 14
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (4) 7
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 4