After a win in our first Leasing.com trophy game in midweek, Cobblers look forward to welcoming Plymouth Argyle to the PTS Academy Stadium this weekend.
In this preview, we will get you up to date with everything you need to know before today’s game including; Last 6 games, Last Game, Head to Head, Summer signings and much much more.
Head to head.
The Cobblers have played Plymouth 97 times 44 of these games coming at home for the Cobblers and the Cobblers have won 23 of them.
Last 6 HOME meetings
The report from the Cobblers 2-0 win in April 2018 at Sixfields Stadium.
Northampton Town gave their survival hopes a huge boost with a richly-deserved 2-0 victory over promotion-chasing Plymouth Argyle. Goals either side of half-time were enough to hand the Cobblers only a second win in 12 games and bring them to within two points of safety, denting Plymouth’s hopes of a play-off place.
Northampton took the game to their in-form visitors from the first whistle and should have had the lead when Sam Hoskins capitalised on a mistake from Gary Sawyer before shooting straight at Remi Matthews.
Hoskins was denied by Matthews for a second time but, seconds later, John-Joe O’Toole poked in Daniel Powell’s low cross to hand the hosts a deserved lead at half-time. The Cobblers were even more dominant in the second half and duly added to their lead just after the hour-mark when, after Matt Crooks went close, defender Zak Vyner turned Powell’s cross into his net.
The home side had further chances to rack up a more convincing victory but Powell, Hoskins and O’Toole were all denied by the outstanding Matthews.
Last time out
The Cobblers’ Leasing.com Trophy campaign got underway on Tuesday night when Arsenal Under 21s visited the PTS Academy Stadium. On-loan Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Andrew Fisher made his debut with young midfielder Scott Pollock also named in the starting XI.
On an extremely humid evening in Northampton, it was Fisher who was first called into action, turning behind a shot from Arsenal’s Nathan Tormey. It was a fairly even contest but the Cobblers enjoyed a spell of pressure just after the half-hour mark, Matt Warburton having a shot deflected wide and Sam Hoskins seeing an effort saved by Matt Macey.
Clear cut chances for either side were at somewhat of a premium but it needed a smart save from Fisher to deny Trae Coyle ten minutes into the second half. The pacy Tormey then drilled a shot into the side netting as Arsenal pushed forward but Steve Bould’s side were reduced to ten men when substitute Tobi Omole was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Hoskins.
Macey saved from Hoskins following a Cobblers free-kick with Billy Waters finding the side-netting on the follow-up. Chris Lines came on for the final twenty minutes and Vadaine Oliver soon followed, Scott Pollock and Harry Smith making way.
Warburton curled a shot wide but it was Arsenal who made the breakthrough on 78 minutes, James Olayinka side-footing the ball home from close range after a strong run and cross from Folarin Balogun.
The Cobblers weren’t behind for long though, Sam Hoskins with a stunning volley into the roof of the nett after a chest down from Oliver. Keith Curle then played his final substitutes card with Andy Williams on for Warburton.
Lines cracked a shot just over from 30-yards as the game entered stoppage time But with neither side able to find a late winner and with the scores level at 90 minutes a penalty shoot-out followed to decide which team would be awarded an extra point in the group stage of the competition.
Striker Yakou Meite scored twice as Championship side Reading fought back from 2-1 down to beat League Two Plymouth 4-2 at Home Park in the EFL Cup second round.
Meite won and converted an 87th-minute penalty after being felled by home keeper Mike Cooper.
The same player then put the tie beyond Plymouth by firing home under Cooper in the first minute of stoppage time.
Target man Ryan Taylor claimed his third goal in two games to fire Argyle 1-0 up after 22 minutes.
Taylor tapped home from close range after strike partner Zak Rudden, on loan from Rangers, teed him up. Reading levelled when impressive Josh Barrett – one of 11 changes to the team that won 2-0 at Huddersfield – cut in from the left and let fly with a thumping shot into the far corner with 35 minutes gone.
Midfielder Jose Baxter scored a superb second goal for the Greens, sending a low 25-yard shot past diving Sam Walker into the corner on 55 minutes.
Barrett levelled again after 72 minutes when he cut in from the left to send a measured curling shot over a full stretch Cooper into the top corner.
Argyle could have gone 3-1 up but playmaker Danny Mayor’s rising angled drive rattled the post and they were to rue that missed chance as Reading went on to win.
FACTS
First time: Bob Jack’s men drew 1-1 at the County Ground on Saturday, November 27, 1920, in both clubs’ inaugural season in the Football League. Jack Hill scored for us.
Last time: Derek Adams’s play-off chasing Pilgrims were dealt a blow in a 0-2 defeat to relegation-bound Town on Saturday, April 21, 2018.
Biggest win: We have twice won 3-1 at Northampton. The first time was on April 8, 1922, when the scorers for Bob Jack’s Argyle were Harry Raymond, Billy Baker and Patsy Corcoran. The second time was on April 28, 1951, when Gordon Astall, Alex Govan and George Dews scored for Jimmy Rae’s team.
Heaviest defeat: Jack Rowley’s team lost 0-5 at Town on October 12, 1957.
Most goals in a single game: Seven in a 2-5 defeat for Bob Jack’s Greens on March 21, 1925. Bob Preston and Jack Cock were our scorers.
Further interesting facts:
Before our defeat on our last visit to Town in April 2018, we had beaten them on their patch three times in a row – having only previously won twice in Northampton in the EFL.
This is only the second time that the two clubs have met in the EFL in August. The previous time was also at the Sixfields Stadium, with Derek Adams’s Pilgrims running out 2-0 winners on August 22, 2015, against a Town team who would ultimately finish the season as League 2 champions. Our scorers that day were Graham Carey and Jake Jervis.
The most common result between our two clubs in Northampton is a 2-1 victory for the Cobblers. They have recorded this five times, most recently on December 20, 1997, when Canadian international striker Carlo Corazzin scored our goal. Corazzin must have impressed Town as he signed for them the following summer.
Match officials
Today’s referee is SEBASTIAN STOCKBRIDGE.
The last time SEBASTIAN was the man in the middle for the cobblers was on 23rd October 2018 at Macclesfield in LEAGUE 2 and the Cobblers won 5-0.
SEBASTIAN STOCKBRIDGE
Assistant: Kevin Morris and Christopher Wade
Fourth Official: Andrew Dallison
Come on Cobblers.