MAUNSELL CUP FINAL
Saturday August 4th, 3.00pm
Nene Park

RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS 0

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 3
Bradley JOHNSON 22, Ian HENDERSON 38, Colin LARKIN 55

Attendance: 1,669 (570 Cobblers fans)

Rushden:  Paul BASTOCK, Curtis OSANO, Phil GULLIVER, Chris HOPE, Wayne HATSWELL (sub Paul WATSON 65), Jon CHALLINOR, Curtis WOODHOUSE, Simeon JACKSON, Martin FOSTER (sub Tom SHAW 44), Michael RANKINE, Dean HOWELL (sub Lawrence LAMBLEY 65).
Substitutes not used: Lee TOMLIN, Paul NICHOLLS.

Cobblers: Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE, Danny JACKMAN, Bradley JOHNSON, Mark HUGHES, Chris DOIG (sub Liam DOLMAN 75), Ian HENDERSON (sub Poul HUBERTZ 46), Andy KIRK, Colin LARKIN, Ryan GILLIGAN, Daniel JONES (sub Brett JOHNSON 56)
Substitutes not used: Chris DUNN, Joe BURNELL.

Referee: Mr R Beeby

Booked:
Rushden none
Cobblers: none

Sent off:
Rushden: none
Cobblers: none

Northampton Town travelled to Nene Park for the Maunsell Cup Final and their final pre-season game. Andy Holt was not risked after picking up a minor calf strain, and that meant that Wolves loanee Daniel Jones made his debut. Poul Hubertz, who had only joined the club in the hours before kick off was among the substitutes, while Chris Doig played his first game of the pre-season.

Curtis Woodhouse shot wide from the edge of the Cobblers area after 2 minutes in the first effort at goal of the game on a warm, sunny afternoon. For Northampton Town, debutant Daniel Jones delivered an excellent 4th minute cross in to the box that was met by the head of Colin Larkin, but the Cobblers striker headed over the bar.

Andy Kirk thought he had put the Cobblers ahead on 9 minutes. A neat passing move saw Ian Henderson find Colin Larkin in space on the right, and he delivered a low cross that was dispatched beyond Bastock by Kirk, but the offside flag had been raised.

Moments later Kirk was close again, but this time the Diamonds keeper made a finger tip save round the post to his powerful effort from Larkin's lay back.

Ryan Gilligan fired a shot wide of Bastock's right hand post on 20 minutes, but 2 minutes later the Cobblers did have the lead, and this time there was no offside flag to cut short the celebrations. A cross into the box from Jones was only half cleared and Bradley Johnson drilled home a powerful right footed finish from 25 yards.

A long clearance from Mark Bunn created a chance for Ian Henderson on 33 minutes. Bunn collected a corner into his area, and immediately sent the ball long downfield into the path of the former Norwich City man. Henderson took the shot first time, but the ball went just wide of the far post.

Henderson did double the Cobblers lead on 38 minutes. A Danny Jackman corner was headed goalwards by Mark Hughes and Henderson reacted first to take the ball away from his marker and goalkeeper Bastock before finishing from close range.

Jason Crowe was played in down the right by Colin Larkin 3 minutes before the break, and he provided an excellent cross that was headed narrowly wide by Bradley Johnson. Tom Shaw replaced Martin Foster in the Diamonds first change, a minute before half time.

Poul Hubertz was introduced in place of Ian Henderson before the second half began. Jason Crowe sent in a long range shot on 47 minutes that Bastock tipped around the post at full stretch.

Hubertz had his first real action on 49 minutes, dummying to create space for Larkin to feed the ball back to him, and then supplying a low ball in that Andy Kirk met well but he was denied by Bastock at close range.

Mark Bunn made a good save to stop a header from Michael Rankine on 54 minutes, before moments later tipping a curling free kick from Chris Hope on to the cross bar.

The Cobblers sprang a break from having to deal with a spell of pressure, and Daniel Jones fed Poul Hubertz down the left. The Danish striker sent over a low cross that gave Colin Larkin the easiest of finishes at the far post.

Almost immediately Jones was withdrawn, with Brett Johnson coming on to replace him.

The Diamonds made two further changes on 64 minutes with Paul Watson replacing Wayne Hatswell and Dean Howell making way for Lawrence Lambley.

Bunn was in the right place to get behind Chris Hope's 69th minute free kick, before Liam Dolman replaced Doig.

The game understandably slowed in the last quarter, with the Cobblers long having secured the result and the warm conditions playing their part.

A more than satisfactory ending to the pre-season as Chris Doig was presented with and lifted the Maunsell Cup to the travelling fans.

RUSHDEN MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 6
CORNERS: (1) 5
FOULS: (2) 7
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 3

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 5
CORNERS: (3) 5
FOULS: (9) 19
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3

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