Northampton Town 2 Southampton 3 (From Daily Echo)

Northampton Town 2 Southampton 3

5:10pm Saturday 28th November 2009

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Saints booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 win against Northampton at Sixfields.

After an even opening to the game Alan Pardew’s men put themselves on course for victory with two goals in the space of two minutes just before half time.

When Dean Hammond put them 3-0 up their victory was all but secured with Northampton getting back a goal that was no more than a consolation.

Northampton came close to taking the lead after just two minutes.

Luke Guttridge drilled in a central low free kick which was held up on the penalty spot and rolled into the path of Patrick Kanyuka.

His low first time effort was heading for the bottom corner but Bartosz Bialkowski got down to his right to turn it against the post.

Moments later, Kanyuka threatened again but this time his looped header from a half cleared corner went wide.

Northampton seemed fairly happy to play on the counter attack. They utilised every opportunity to try and use their height from set pieces which was a real threat with Andy Holt’s accurate bomb of a long throw.

Saints were trying to use Papa Waigo’s pace out wide with Rickie Lambert as the lone striker holding up the ball.

They first threatened on 12 minutes when Waigo rolled the ball back to Graeme Murty and his first time cross was headed wide at the far post by Adam Lallana.

Waigo himself had a shot that was blocked at the near post before a shout for a penalty for handball was waved away.

Suddenly Saints were all over Northampton and Chris Dunn was forced into two good saves in the space of a minute from Dean Hammond.

The first saw him dive low to his left to push away a header while seconds later he had to turn Hammond’s drive from outside the box over the bar.

Saints were lucky to survive a penalty shout themselves when Dan Harding appeared to shove Steve Guinan in the back as he rose for a header but the referee wasn’t interested.

As the game settled down Guttridge was the next to have a crack on 28 minutes but his low drive drifted just wide of the far corner.

Waigo had a fantastic chance to give Saints the lead on the half hour mark. He was picked out on the right by Lambert’s long pass and with Northampton looking for an offside flag that was not forthcoming he was clean through on goal.

However, he dwelt for so long that Craig Hinton was able to get back and challenge as he went to pull the trigger and the danger was cleaned up.

Ryan Gilligan threatened from another Northampton set piece but his diving header from a corner went just wide before Josh Walker’s free kick from 25 yards met a similar fate.

Waigo made up for his earlier miss on 41 minutes when he gave Saints the lead.

Lambert got to the by-line on the left and stood up a cross that Waigo met with a diving header six yards out that was directed into the bottom corner for 1-0.

It got even better when Saints doubled their lead just two minutes later. This time Waigo was the provider, swinging the ball in from the right where Lallana met it with a strong header that was steered into the same bottom corner and it was 2-0.

Northampton could have made it interesting when Guinan got a free header just before the break but from a great position he put it wide.

The Cobblers had been a tough nut to crack but Saints looked to have pretty much done it when the half time whistle went. Northampton worried Saints three minutes after the restart when Kanyuka’s header was closing in on the far corner before Murty cleared off the line.

After seeing off a spell of pressure Saints pretty much sealed the game on 59 minutes.

Hammond was in the right place at the right time in the centre of the area to power in a header from a hanging cross from the left.

Keeper Dunn dived down to his right and saved it but the ball went behind him. He quickly moved back and shovelled it out on to the post but the linesman had raised his flag to indicate the ball had crossed the line.

The referee awarded the goal and Saints led 3-0. Northampton pulled one back on 65 minutes when Adebayo Akinfenwa headed back across goal and under pressure from Guinan who would have slammed it home himself Hammond could only turn into his own net.

The Cobblers made a double change on 78 minutes with Sebastian Harris and Billy McKay replacing Akinfenwa and Guinan. That was followed four minutes later with Alex Dyer replacing Guttridge.

Pardew responded with is first substitution as Michail Anotnio came on for Lallana with Waigo switching to the left and Antonio on the right.

Lambert tried his luck from virtually the left touchline with five minutes left but though it was on target it was straight at Dunn.

Down the other end Walker tried to inject some late drama into the game but his fizzing shot from 20 yards went wide.

Pardew made a late change with Joseph Mills coming on for Morgan Schneiderlin.

The fourth official held up the board to show there were three minutes of stoppage time and Saints just needed to see it out.

They were given a scare when the referee awarded Northampton a penalty for a handball in the crowded area. Gilligan stepped up to take it and calmly slotted home, sending Bialkowski the wrong way.

But by that stage the three minutes of stoppage time had been played and the referee blew his whistle to end the game almost as soon as the kick off had been taken.

Saints had more than done enough to get through and were probably more comfortable winners than the scoreline suggested.

Saints

Bialkowski, Murty, Perry, Jaidi, Harding, Hammond, Schneiderlin, Wotton, Papa Waigo, Lallana, Lambert.
Subs: Forecast, Thomas, Mills, James, Gobern, Antonio, Paterson.

Northampton Town

Dunn, Rodgers, Hinton, Kanyuka, Gilbert, Guttridge, Gilligan, Walker, Holt, Guinan, Akinfenwa.
Subs: Dyer, Mulligan, McKay, Curtis, Jacobs, Harris, Brown.

Referee: Mr. S. Tanner.

Your Vote

How will Saints do against Northampton?

Win:
84%

Draw:
11%

Lose:
5%

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