Exeter City 1 Northampton Town 2

Exeter City fell to a harsh defeat at the hands of Northampton Town, ending a twenty-game home unbeaten run.

Padraig Amond cancelled out Jack Sowerby’s first half strike, before Mitch Pinnock took the spoils against the run of play to condemn City. The Grecians had glorious chances to level, though lacked the cutting edge on a frustrating evening for the Reds.   

Padraig Amond was reinstated into the team as Matt Taylor made two changes from Saturday. Alex Hartridge returned to a back three. The view from the first ten minutes was two sides of real quality battling for some ascendency, though the defences stood firm. Neither side really able create a chance though possession was tight and controlled. The infamous Northampton long-throw carved out the first clear sight of goal of the evening. Paul Lewis fell free at the far post but Cameron Dawson was equal to the headed effort. Northampton fortuitously took the lead just after the half hour mark. Town regained possession on the right-hand side and delivered a ball in. Cam Dawson expertly kept out the first effort, but the ricochet fell to Jack Sowerby on the edge. His deflected shot wrong-footed Dawson and the Cobblers were ahead. Northampton almost grabbed a second two muntes before the break. Another second ball won allowed Mitch Pinnock to bring down and fire a shot over the upright. Exeter’s only half glimpse of the Northampton goal came on the stroke of half-time as Amond steered over a Jevani Brown cross to end a tough half for City. It only took five minutes of the second half for Matt Taylor’s words to pull through and City were level through Padraig Amond! Josh Key, who was relatively quiet in the first half, picked up the ball midway inside the Town half. Marauding forward Key was able to cross at the second attempt and there was Podge to nod home his 200^th career goal. What an achievement for the Irishman! Buoyed on by the brilliant Thatcher’s Big Bank, City almost completed the turn around straight away. Matt Jay let fly from the edge of the box but Liam Roberts just got two hands to it.

Jevani Brown also came close to putting City in front. A lovely flick on from Amond allowed Brown to cut onto his left foot. Again, Roberts was forced into a diving save. Archie Collins came close to troubling windows in Exmouth when his left footed effort flew comically high, but City were in charge of proceedings. Pierce Sweeney was uncharacteristically playing as a centre-forward as he had City’s next chance. A lovely switching ball from Hartridge found Sweeney at the back stick, but Roberts was agile enough to stop Pierce at his near post Northampton carved their first chance of the second half as Jordan Flores took aim from range. Simple for Dawson. And out of nowhere the visitors retook the lead. The referee gave a suspicious free kick against Alex Hartridge. The free kick flew all the way through, off the post and in. Though Mitch Pinnock claimed the faintest of touches. Matt Jay was forced into a pop-shot from distance as City searched for an equaliser.  And Josh Coley had the chance of the lot. Deep into injury, Kyle Taylor looped a ball to the far post and the substitute somehow only found the side netting.

The miss proved decisive at City couldn't find the equaliser and fell to their first home defeat since March.  

Exeter City: Dawson, Key, Seeney, Ray (Taylor 79’), Hartridge, Caprice, Kite (Seymour 83’), Collins, Jay, J. Brown, Amond (Coley 79’)
Subs: S. Brown, Sparkes, Seymour, Daniel, Grounds,

Northampton Town: Roberts McGowan, Sowerby, Guthrie, Horsfall, Hoskins, Lewis, Pinnock, Koiki, McWilliams (Flores 46’), Rose (Ashley-Seal 85’)
Subs: Maxted, Kabamba, Connoly, Pollock, Dyche

Referee: John Busby

Attendance: 3,823