Cobblers start new League One season with opening-day defeat to Stevenage

Cobblers started the new League One season with a 1-0 defeat at home to fellow promoted side Stevenage at a wet and windy Sixfields on Saturday.

The first half ebbed and flowed as Cobblers started and finished it on top with Stevenage enjoying a good spell in the middle, but both sides missed good chances – Town twice hitting the post – and they went in all square at the break.

The contest remained relatively even at the start of the second half but Boro finished much the stronger and ultimately claimed all three points thanks to Carl Piergianni’s close-range finish nine minutes from full-time.

There were some positives in defeat for Northampton, particularly in the first half, but they undoubtedly tired late on and struggled to match Stevenage’s intensity as Boro claimed their first ever win at Sixfields. The game was also notable for the fact that a total of 22 minutes were played in additional time, a result of the new EFL directive.

Summer signings Manny Monthé, Patrick Brough and Tyreece Simpson all made their Cobblers debuts as Jon Brady went with three at the back against Stevenage, but Shaun McWilliams was one of six players missing through injury.

Boro started well and threatened with a couple of half chances, but the first big opportunity fell to Cobblers on 10 minutes when Brough charged through on goal and was denied by a fine finger-tip save from Taye Ashby-Hammond, who deflected the ball onto the crossbar.

Town it the woodwork for a second time just three minutes later, this time Simpson set through on goal by Marc Leonard and rolling against the base of the post from an acute angle.

After a good start by the hosts, Stevenage began to reverse the momentum around the half-hour mark and went close themselves through Ben Thompson, who side-footed wide from the middle of the box.

A bit of defending by Jon Guthrie prevented Jordan Roberts from getting in on goal before Aaron Pressley volleyed beyond the far post, but Cobblers came back at Stevenage at the end the half.

Ashby-Hammond bravely blocked from Simpson and then, due to the new guidelines on timekeeping, eight minutes of stoppage-time were added on, during which time Jack Sowerby saw a strong shout for a penalty turned away.

Brady made a change at half-time as Akin Odimayo made way – either for tactical reasons or because of injury – and on come Louis Appéré. He went straight up front with Sam Hoskins moving to wing-back.

Stevenage, aided by the conditions, were the team with the wind in their sails at the start of the second half but whilst the game had a competitive edge to it, there wasn’t much happening in terms of clear-cut chances.

With the home side flagging, it wasn’t until the closing stages until Boro began to assert sustained pressure on Town’s goal, and it paid off with nine minutes to play. Lee Burge kept out the initial effort but Cobblers couldn’t scramble the ball away and Piergianni forced it home with the linesman ruling it had crossed the line despite Jon Guthrie’s best efforts.

A fine stop from Burge stopped Roberts wrapping the game up a few minutes later before a remarkable 14 minutes were added on, and in the first of those Marc Leonard almost levelled but his free-kick dropped narrowly wide.

But in truth Cobblers looked out on their feet throughout all of those 14 minutes and Stevenage held on with relative ease.

Cobblers: Burge, Sherring, Guthrie © (Dyche 82), Monthé, Odimayo (Appéré 45), Brough, Sowerby (Bowie 85), Leonard, Pinnock (Hondermarck 82), Hoskins (McGowan 72), Simpson

Subs not used: Dadge, Koiki

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Butler, N Thompson, Piergianni ©, Burns, L Thompson (Forster-Caskey 71), B Thompson (Freeman 61), Roberts, Reid, Pressley (March 88)

Subs not used: MacDonald, Hegyi, Smith

Referee: Lewis Smith

Attendance: 7,049

Stevenage fans: 961