Ahead of Tuesday nights game v Oxford we have a look at the past 6 matches between the two clubs.
15/12/20 – Oxford 4 The Cobblers 0
Both sides wore green armbands at the Kassam in memory of Cobblers fan Harry Dunn, who was killed by a car driving on the wrong side of the road in August 2019.
Matt Taylor struck twice to take his tally for the season to seven.
Oxford’s Josh Ruffels shot against the post before the break while for Northampton, Fraser Horsfall headed a corner wide.
Striker Taylor began the rout by heading in from three yards after Sean Clare’s cross looped over goalkeeper Steve Arnold four minutes after the break.
Olamide Shodipo then doubled the U’s lead in the 65th minute, firing into the bottom corner after cutting in from the left.Taylor got his second when he headed in Jordan Obita’s centre a minute from time.
And in stoppage time, substitute Dan Agyei fired in a brilliant individual effort from 20 yards to complete the scoring. The beleaguered visitors were without 10 players because of injuries and suspensions, including five defenders.
Boss Keith Curle gave a first start to 17-year-old Max Dyche, son of Burnley manager Sean.
09/10/18 – Oxford 1 The Cobblers 2
Daniel Powell had an early header saved by Simon Eastwood and John-Joe O’Toole made a good run into the area before his shot was deflected behind via the post by U’s centre-back Charlie Raglan in a strong start from the Cobblers.
Eastwood made a smart save to prevent van Veen opening the scoring while it needed a last-ditch tackle from Raglan to halt the run of Powell.
Oxford took the lead when James Henry’s deflected shot gave Lewis Ward no chance in the Cobblers goal. Soon after play had re-started there was a coming together that resulted in Aaron Pierre, Bowditch, O’Toole and Henry all being shown yellow cards. A cross from goalscorer Henry then bounced back off the post as the hosts nearly doubled their lead.
Ward tipped over a header from Sam Smith in first half stoppage time, having earlier made a good save from Shandon Baptiste to keep the scoreline at 1-0.
After a bright start to the second half Kevin van Veen equalised with a wonder strike, winning back the ball before curling a shot into the top corner from 25-yards.
Town were on top and Powell had a shot blocked after being played through by Jack Bridge, on for David Buchanan. U’s substitute John Mousinho then had a shot deflected behind in the home side’s first meaningful foray forward in the second half.
Aaron Pierre put the Cobblers in front on 65 minutes, the defender applying a neat finish to Sam Foley’s cross.
Powell went down in the area under a challenge from Eastwood but referee Kevin Johnson waved away the Cobblers appeals for a penalty. Powell then had to be replaced with Hakeem Odoffin coming on.
Luke Garbutt lined up a shot from distance that came back off the inside of the post as the hosts tried to rally in search of an equaliser of their own.
Marcus Browne flashed a shot just wide with stoppage time approaching and the Cobblers saw out injury time to claim a win that kept their hopes of progression in the Checkatrade Trophy alive going into the final group game against Fulham under 21s at the PTS Academy Stadium in November.
They did however end the game with ten men after O’Toole picked up a second yellow card deep into injury time, meaning he will miss that game with the Fulham youngsters next month.
24/02/18 – The Cobblers 0 Oxford 0
Both teams had chances to win it throughout but poor finishing in front of goal was the story of the day, leaving Northampton 19th and Oxford 15th in the battle to beat relegation.
Chris Long missed two chances inside the first 18 minutes for Northampton, skewing over from 18 yards and then side-footing wide after good play from Gboly Ariyibi, before Richardinho’s goalbound shot was blocked on the line by Brendan Moloney.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts clipped the top of the crossbar as Oxford grew into the game with Ryan Ledson also whipping a long-range effort narrowly wide.
Long went close for a third time in the second half when blazing over from inside the box before Matt Crooks and Sam Hoskins were unable to force home a goalmouth scramble.
The best opening of the entire game fell late on to Wes Thomas, who should have won it for Oxford but he headed wide from six yards.
11/11/17 – Oxford 1 The Cobblers 2
The victory made it six games unbeaten for the Cobblers in all competitions and was Oxford’s fourth straight defeat in both the league and the cups.
Ash Taylor forced the ball over the line from five yards in a scramble at a corner to give Town the breakthrough in the 12th minute.
U’s keeper Simon Eastwood saved well from Chris Long and Lewis McGugan before Oxford equalised out of the blue on 44 minutes when Wes Thomas ran on to James Henry’s pass and drove low into the bottom corner from 18 yards out.
But within 60 seconds Northampton were back in front as Long capitalised on Ryan Ledson’s error to race through and fire high into the net, Eastwood getting a hand to his shot but unable to keep it out.
Billy Waters missed an open goal for Northampton at the start of the second half but they held on for their third successive win at Oxford.
25/03/17 – The Cobblers 0 Oxford 0
Northampton had the better of a scrappy first half in which both defences were on top and chances were few and far between.
Aaron Phillips tested Simon Eastwood with a long-range shot and Marc Richards headed onto the roof of the net for the Cobblers. Matt Taylor’s free-kick was also deflected over and from his ensuing corner, the unmarked Zander Diamond headed over.
Michael Smith headed wide for the hosts before Oxford began to offer more of a threat in the final third as the half progressed. Conor McAleny curled an effort wide, Antonio Martinez fired over and Phil Edwards tested Adam Smith.
After the restart Liam Sercombe fired wide for Oxford before Northampton missed a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock when they were awarded a penalty, only for Taylor’s spot-kick to be superbly saved by Eastwood.
Northampton still sensed the breakthrough but Richards fired into the side-netting and Paul Anderson failed to convert from Phillips’ excellent cross.
Sercombe tried to catch out Smith with a lob but the keeper did well to claim the ball.
26/12/16 – Oxford 0 The Cobblers 1
Substitute Harry Beautyman knocked Matt Taylor’s corner back across the goal and Richards stuck out a foot to flick the ball home at the far post.
That brought an end to Oxford’s eight-game unbeaten run, but the U’s only had themselves to blame with some wayward shooting and poor decision-making in the final third, as they failed to find the net at home for the first time this season.
Northampton created the better of what few chances there were in the opening hour.
Taylor’s stinging snap shot from 20 yards was too hot to handle for U’s goalkeeper Simon Eastwood but his defenders were on hand to clear.
Cobblers centre-half Lewis Nyatanga unbelievably headed a Taylor corner over the bar from just five yards.
At the other end Chris Maguire threatened from free-kicks and the Scot also forced Adam Smith into a smart save down at his right post, but Oxford struggled to get beyond the visitors’ well-marshalled defence.
In the second half it was again Northampton who almost broke the deadlock, Paul Anderson somehow failing to turn in a Richards header back across the face of the goal.