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Northampton Town 2-0 Ipswich Town - Half-time
Tuesday, 20th Apr 2021 19:57

Two Peter Kioso goals have given Northampton a 2-0 half-time lead over the Blues at Sixfields.

Kayden Jackson and Freddie Sears came into an otherwise unchanged Town team. Jackson replaced James Norwood, who suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury at Charlton on Saturday, as the main striker, while Sears was in for Teddy Bishop, who also dropped out of the 18 due to illness. The former West Ham man started in behind Jackson.

Among the watching scouts was former Blues forward Noel Hunt, who was understood to be being considered for a role at Portman Road by manager Paul Cook when he was appointed.

Town started positively, winning three early corners and following the third, they went within inches of ending their goal drought.

The ball was played to Gwion Edwards 30 yards out and the Welshman, who had started on the left flank with Keanan Bennetts on the right, struck a powerful shot which beat home keeper Jonathan Mitchell to his left but cannoned off the outside of the post.

However, it was the Cobblers who were to take the lead with their first effort on goal in the eighth minute. Joseph Mills sent over a corner from the right and Kioso volleyed in from five yards.

It was a poor goal to concede from a Town perspective, and their second from an opposition corner in three games, but they threatened twice in the following minutes, Sears and Kane Vincent-Young both sending in low crosses from the right which were cut out.

Northampton were very nearly two goals in front in the 18th minute when Sam Hoskins crossed from the left to Caleb Chukwuemeka but Stephen Ward read the situation superbly and blocked the shot when a second Cobblers’ goal looked odds-on. Three minutes later, Alex Jones went wide from the right of the area.

Despite Northampton having the lead and the better of the chances, the Blues were seeing most of the ball. On 23 Ward crossed low from a promising position on the left but again it hit the first defender and deflected away.

Just after the half-hour mark Tomas Holy was forced into a sharp save when Ryan Watson hit a low shot from the edge of the area before Mills saw a scuffed effort from the left turned wide by Mark McGuinness just in front of the line.

And from the corner, the Cobblers doubled their lead. Mills again sent the corner in from the right and Kioso again found the target, this time at the far post. Once more it was another set-piece goal which will have been a big frustration to Town manager Cook.

The second goal seemed to rock Town and in the 38th minute it was very nearly 3-0. Mills crossed from the left and Jones flicked a header just past Holy’s left post with the keeper standing no chance if it had been on target.

Two minutes before the break, the Blues came very close to pulling a goal back when they hit the woodwork for the second time. Edwards under-hit a free-kick from the left and Sears flicked a looping backwards header which beat Mitchell but hit the bar and bounced to safety.

In injury time, Bennetts did well to beat his man and break down the right into the area but again his cross was cut out.

And just before the whistle, Vincent-Young also crossed from the right but the ball struck Jackson on the chest and deflected behind.

As so often this season, the Blues had seen most of the ball but despite getting into promising areas hadn’t been able to turn that into goals.

While they had been unfortunate that Edwards and Sears had hit the woodwork, both efforts came from set pieces with the Blues’ best situations in open play having broken down due to a poor final ball. Town’s goal drought now stands at 484 minutes.

At the other end, Town had been a shambles defensively with Kioso grabbing his two goals and Northampton having had a number of other opportunities and the home side might well have been three or four up at the break.

Town need the type of comeback they’ve shown few signs of being capable of this season in the second half if they’re to take anything from the game and give any meaning to their final four matches.

Northampton: Mitchell, Horsfall, Hoskins, Watson, Jones, Kioso, McWilliams, Morris, Mills (c), Jones, Chukwuemeka. Subs: Harriman, Bolger, Korboa, Miller, Rose, Woods, Marshall.

Town: Holy, Vincent-Young, Woolfenden, McGuinness, Ward (c), Downes, Dozzell, Bennetts, Sears, Edwards, Jackson. Subs: Cornell, Chambers, Kenlock, Skuse, Dobra, Drinan, Hawkins. Referee: James Bell (Sheffield).


Photo: Matchday Images



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Gilesy added 19:58 - Apr 20
Good gracious.
0

Thebot added 19:59 - Apr 20
For 1/2 a second tonight I thought about spending a tenna and watching. So chuffed I didn't 😂
3

jas0999 added 19:59 - Apr 20
Disgraceful. Whatever happens, this isn't good enough.
3

billys_boots added 20:01 - Apr 20
Shock Breaking News - Ipswich have announced they're breaking away to join ESL. The East Suffolk League is rumoured to be founded by Ipswich, Lowestoft and Leiston Football Clubs. They have signed a multi-pound deal with a bloke in a pub in Southwold.
9

Wooly74 added 20:01 - Apr 20
Make it stop please 🙏
1

brittaniaman added 20:02 - Apr 20
We never could beat teams in the top 6 ? Now we cannot beat teams in the bottom 6 ??
4

Elwood added 20:03 - Apr 20
Can't they just release all the players now?
5

chepstowblue added 20:03 - Apr 20
I keep checking to see if the bottom 4 is still a possibility. Seriously,why are we not bottom of this division?! And when does this shambles become Paul Cook's fault. It HAS got worse since his arrival. Is it that we're holding out for a place in the ESL and our hearts aren't in it ? An absolute disgrace.
6

martin587 added 20:04 - Apr 20
What is going on.This just beggars belief.How can we be so bad.There has to be an underlying problem somewhere within the team.
6

ImAbeliever added 20:04 - Apr 20
So now we can't defend corners.
1

midastouch added 20:04 - Apr 20
All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Ipswich back together again!
3

billys_boots added 20:04 - Apr 20
Shock breaking news update - Leiston and Lowestoft have confirmed they'll be leaving the ESL. Ipswich Town have announced they're going alone and will be inventing a new version of Association Football that doesn't involve goal posts.
5

ImAbeliever added 20:04 - Apr 20
It's all Cobblers Martin
0

TimmyH added 20:05 - Apr 20
Northampton the lowest scoring team in this league and they could have easily scored 4 times in that half!!, that's how bad we are.
2

Skip73 added 20:06 - Apr 20
I'm starting to wonder if the right man is in charge. Its even worse than under Lambert. A complete clear out from top to bottom in the summer is needed.
1

Dockerblue added 20:06 - Apr 20
The sooner they are all shown the door the better. Sears and Jackson don,t have a goal in them. Utter disgrace!
1

oxfordblue added 20:06 - Apr 20
Surely paul cook must stand accountable for what is being delivered , I appreciate he inherited this squad but surely as an experienced manager he should be doing better.
3

ipswichfann679 added 20:06 - Apr 20
it was expected that we would lose tonight. NO goal threat without Norwood and even with him we only score 1 or 2 goals.
0

WalkRules added 20:08 - Apr 20
The water on the picture at the top of the article.is that rain or condensation. Or tears 😢
1

Marinermagic added 20:11 - Apr 20
Sacked in the morning, your getting sacked in the morning .....the bloody lot of you !!!
1

Chris_Knights added 20:12 - Apr 20
Expecting to lose against Northampton Town ..... I completely agree and feel the same ..... the players have flung the towel in ..... post match conference is gonna be a laugh !!!
1

Chris_Knights added 20:13 - Apr 20
Oxford Blue .... the players have thrown the towel in... guardiola wouldn't get a tune out of this lot they are poison ...
1

TimmyH added 20:15 - Apr 20
Why does cook always wait until 60 minutes before making changes?...I'd have changed the whole lot!
2

Kirbmeister added 20:16 - Apr 20
Oxfordblue- no good blaming PC. The players know they're off at the end of the season. There's no incentive to play well. These games are dead rubbers. Surely a defeat was expected?
2

Marinermagic added 20:16 - Apr 20
No subs at half time, clearly clueless this guy Cook should be on a stage, the first one out of town !
0


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