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Northampton Town 3-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 20th Apr 2021 20:59

Town’s hopes of making the play-offs were all but ended as Peter Kioso scored twice and Ryan Watson once as they were beaten 3-0 by Northampton Town at Sixfields. Kioso netted from corners in the eighth and 32nd minute in a first period in which the Cobblers could have been further in front and Gwion Edwards and Freddie Sears hit the woodwork, while Kane Vincent-Young and Oli Hawkins spurned golden opportunities in the second. With six minutes remaining Watson completed another dreadful evening for the Blues, whose goal drought has now extended to 529 minutes.

Kayden Jackson and 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 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 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.

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 needed the type of comeback they’ve shown few signs of being capable of this season in the second half.

Soon after the restart, Ward cut back from the left but Bennetts failed to read the ball, was caught on his heels and the danger was cleared.

The deficit should have been reduced to one goal in the 50th minute when Vincent-Young missed a golden opportunity to grab his first of the season. Edwards played Jackson in on the left of the box and the striker played it across the six-yard area to Vincent-Young who seemed certain to score but somehow hit his shot against Mitchell’s feet as the keeper desperately made his way back across goal.

Four minutes later, Mitchell was quickly off his line to take a bouncing ball away from Sears as the striker chased a ball down the middle.

In the 55th minute Northampton switched Chukwuemeka for Mark Marshall, then two minutes later Armando Dobra took over from Bennetts.

Edwards took the ball into the box at pace just after the hour mark - with the Blues’ goalless streak having stretched beyond 500 minutes - and got clipped as he did so but stayed on his feet and was eventually was dispossessed.

Town were making little serious headway and so on 67 Jackson and Sears was swapped for Oli Hawkins and Aaron Drinan.

Three minutes after coming on, Hawkins should have pulled a goal back. Ward got round the back on the left and crossed for the former Portsmouth striker, who rose high but headed over the angle of bar and post. While not as clear cut as Vincent-Young’s miss it was another chance the Blues should have taken.

Town’s misery was complete in the 84th minute when keeper Holy came out of his goal to the right of his area but his clearance struck Hoskins and deflected into the middle of the Blues’ half from where Watson shot into an empty net.

In the final minutes, Cobblers sub Danny Rose was booked for clipping Vincent-Young as the right-back broke forwards midway inside the home side’s half.

A minute later, Vincent-Young shot wide in the wake of a corner with the ball appearing to deflect off a defender, however, referee James Bell thought otherwise. The former Colchester United man shot wide again from a further effort from another corner.

Bell’s final whistle confirmed another disappointing result against one of the division’s struggling sides with the game virtually over by half-time as was the case at AFC Wimbledon a week ago.

Having started the second half promisingly following the disastrous first period, the Blues really needed an early goal to give them momentum. And they created the chance they needed but somehow Vincent-Young was unable to take it.

From there, they lost their impetus until the Hawkins opportunity which the big striker will feel he also should have taken. The third goal, Northampton’s only shot of the second half. summed up Town’s evening and the shambolic nature of the performance.

The Blues again failed to score with the new owners, whose takeover was announced two weeks ago tomorrow, yet to see a Town goal. The goalless streak has now stretched to five full games plus 79 minutes of the victory over Bristol Rovers - nine hours all but 12 minutes plus injury time.

The defeat means any lingering hopes the Blues had of making the play-offs are all but over barring mathematical miracles and it will be another season of League One football in 2021/22.

Northampton: Mitchell, Horsfall, Hoskins, Watson, Jones (Rose 82), Kioso, McWilliams, Morris, Mills (c), Jones, Chukwuemeka (Marshall 55). Unused: Harriman, Bolger, Korboa, Miller, Rose, Woods.

Town: Holy, Vincent-Young, Woolfenden, McGuinness, Ward (c), Downes, Dozzell, Bennetts (Dobra 57), Edwards, Sears (Drinan 67), Jackson (Hawkins 67). Unused: Cornell, Chambers, Kenlock, Skuse. Referee: James Bell (Sheffield).


Photo: Pagepix



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BromleyBloo added 20:59 - Apr 20
Started really well, dominated and Cobblers nowhere, so let's gift them a goal in the six yard box from their first corner - where was Holy, where was anybody??? Sucker punch/suicide defending doesn't cover it!?! Then repeat and do the same thing again 20 mins later, with the ball going even further across the face of the goal unchallenged. We actually played okay in the first half - certainly better than recently - dominated possession (67%) throughout and hit the woodwork twice, but........................!!!

Sears, Edwards and KVY okay, Jackson and Bennetts embarrassingly awful and Ward doesn't know what a forward pass is!?!
Holy also got to go - sort of okay shotstopper, but comes for nothing, even in his six yard box and distribution, as ever, absolutely awful!

Tried for 10 mins in the second half, but Cobblers stood strong, just played it out and after a while we just seemed to give up................

............then Holy blunder for the third goal terrible! 3-0 to Dons, 3-0 to Cobblers........

Next game is must win😂🤣😂

Absolutely embarrassingly abysmal! Start ripping the place apart for next season ASAP! Keep Downes, Woolfy, KVC, Dobra, maybe Dozzell, but get rid of the rest..........!!!
5

midastouch added 21:00 - Apr 20
Has our entire squad got long covid or are they just that s**t?
7

UhlenbeekDownTheWing added 21:00 - Apr 20
PC clearly cannot motivate this group to perform to the level they managed for PL. That is a big red flag for me, one that I can't look past.
I get the desire from many on here to blame the players and to get rid of them all in the summer, however at least half of next seasons team are in the building already - I can't see us signing 6 starters, and history shows that if we do we will likely be terrible (that level of player turnover NEVER works).
The idea that we should give him a transfer window and another 20 games makes no sense to me. Literally anyone is a better option than him now.
20

Mr_Jingles added 21:01 - Apr 20
5 shots at goal in 5 games against very poor teams is super scary for next season.
To say we need some fresh and talented players is the understatement of the century.
5

midastouch added 21:02 - Apr 20
These aged well!


Ward: We Have to Be Really Positive and Believe We Can Make Play-Offs 19th Apr 2021 10:40
Town veteran Stephen Ward insists that he and his colleagues must remain positive going into the final five games of the season because there is still a lot at stake for the club. 39




McGuinness: A Two or Three-Game Winning Streak and We’re in Contention 18th Apr 2021 11:42
On-loan Arsenal central defender Mark McGuinness believes a two or three-game winning streak would put the Blues firmly back in the play-off picture as Town go into a big week in which they face Northampton away on Tuesday and then AFC Wimbledon at Portman Road next Saturday. 46

2

GleggsJag added 21:02 - Apr 20
Fcuk my life🙄
1

jas0999 added 21:03 - Apr 20
Utterly disgraceful. ALL of these hopeless players MUST go. Will the new owners back Cook? Terrible record. Time will tell.
14

MJR101 added 21:03 - Apr 20
Dear God......
0

TimmyH added 21:03 - Apr 20
How we keep plummeting to new depths - Swindon, Gillingham, Wimbledon and now Northampton are all showing us up, how we've fallen from grace.

Keep sharpening the axe and hopefully 90% of the regular starters we won't even see next season, as for PC have to say I'm very underwhelmed of what I've seen so far but won't judge him until next season but even then he has ALOT of work to do (think I've said this before).

That's enough for me watching this rabble on iFollow, wasted too much money!
5

moggasnotebook added 21:03 - Apr 20
Cook's mate won again with Wigan (now four wins on the trot?)..... Is PC as good on his own as Lambert is without Culverhouse?
20

martin587 added 21:04 - Apr 20
Words fail me.I just feel she'll shocked at the rubbish these players are serving up.They are a disgrace to the club and themselves.Let's just get this season over with and pray to god we can reverse this situation next season.Norhing more to add on a very depressing night for us long suffering supporters.
7

BlueArrow added 21:04 - Apr 20
The whole team should be made to donate their months wages to NHS mental health depth. Nobody fit to wear the shirt. Sack them all.
15

BartonBluee added 21:04 - Apr 20
Sack everyone.

We would even manage to lose the disbanded European Super League the way we are currently playing.

👎👎👎
0

Nobbysnuts added 21:04 - Apr 20
I'm going to do the post match interview on tonight's game against Northampton on behalf of ITFC......good evening..we're sh#te....thank you. No more questions..good night.
12

ringwoodblue added 21:04 - Apr 20
To quote Gary Neville - what a bunch of bottle merchants
7

bringonbrazil added 21:04 - Apr 20
Mother of god
0

Help added 21:05 - Apr 20
Get rid of every single one of those players
4

itfchorry added 21:05 - Apr 20
No Bounce
No Pride
No Passion
No Idea

Worse than disgraceful
12

VanDusen added 21:05 - Apr 20
Clearly Cook must be doing something right if he's p*ssed them off this much. They've been coasting for years and finally a manager tells it like it is and there's mutiny. Always happens like this to have real lasting change in any business. I will judge Cook next season with his own team. This lot clearly don't want to buy into his fitness etc. despite everyone being given ample chance.

And please please please send back McGuinness to the European Super League asap.
10

Norwichbeater added 21:05 - Apr 20
I know a lot of supporters believe Cook is the way forward but he has failed miserably so far. Play offs should have been a minimum from when he took over. I agree lambert was poor but Cook has taken us backwards. I don't have a clue what he is doing in training. Tactics and formation have changed for the better and performances are far worse. Not sure he will be in charge at end of the season and trusted with the new player funds. I would drop all eleven and play under 23 team now for the rest of the season and send back the loan players
11

chopra777 added 21:05 - Apr 20
Just sack the lot of them now. Gutless, no motivation. Please play the U23 team. But well done to Northampton playing basic football. Probably the worst game of the season. Please don't do the pathetic interviews during the week. .PC just get the hatchet out now.
4

Thebot added 21:06 - Apr 20
I didn't spend a tenna, am not reading the report as I've lost all interest! I've read comments about players leaving the door marked "exit", think cookies should walk through it as well. Lambert got more out of this lot without the million people above structuring the club.
2

runaround added 21:06 - Apr 20
Beyond embarrassing! Players are a disgrace with no fight whatsoever & just petulance instead of determination. Thank goodness for the takeover and chance for Cook to rebuild. Season cannot end soon enough although would be nice to get a win before the season finishes.......
I'd settle for a goal even!
Roll on the rebuild and to new beginnings
3

fifeblue added 21:07 - Apr 20
I'm looking forward to seeing my other English team, Cheltenham, play their first ever league games against Ipswich next season. Ipswich will always be my main team but at the moment it is difficult to see where the club goes from here in the near future.
1

Barty added 21:07 - Apr 20
We are just so amazingly brilliant that words cannot explain how good we are and we would tear the premiership apart. Just amazing
0


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