Northampton 3 - Swindon Town 4 (From This Is Swindon Town FC)
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Northampton 3 - Swindon Town 4
9:40pm Tuesday 24th March 2009 in News
By Anthony Marshall
Simon Cox celebrates his hat-trick in the win at Northampton
SIMON Cox grabbed his third hat-trick of the season as Town come from behind to record three crucial League One points with a 4-3 win at releagtion rivals Northampton tonight.
The front man notched up goals number 25 and 26 of a prolific season to turn things around before half time, after Swindon had gone a goal down early on.
Adebayo Akinfenwa gave Northampton the lead with a low shot, but Cox replied midway through the half with a header.
Then he produced a lob of brilliant quality to give Danny Wilson's side the advantage, before setting up Billy Paynter for a fine third goal shortly before the break.
Danny Jackman's second half free-kick looked to have put the home side back in the contest, but Cox grabbed number 27 for the season when he turned home Paynter's cross with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Swindon suffered a nervy last few minutes as Northampton sub Ikechi Anya drilled home and they then had a goal ruled out, but Town held firm for an important win over their relegation rivals.
Northampton made the perfect start as they opened the scoring inside three minutes.
As Town failed to clear their lines from a corner, Giles Coke's initial shot was blocked, but Adebayo Akinfenwa picked up on the loose ball to tuck a low effort just past the grasp of Phil Smith.
Swindon began to take the game to the home side and on 15 minutes Simon Cox latched on to keeper Phil Smith's long clearance, held off the challenge of Jason Crowe and, from 25 yards, forced Cobblers stopper Chris Dunn into a diving save.
Northampton failed to deal with the resulting corner and Hal Robson-Kanu saw a volley deflected over as the pressure built.
And they got a deserved equaliser three minutes later through Cox's 25th goal of the season.
Northampton right-back Paul Rodgers gave the ball away cheaply and when Anthony McNamee swung in a dangerous cross, Cox was brave enough to rise between two defenders and head home.
The tide had turned and Phil Smith was briefly called into action on 26 minutes with a stunning one-handed reaction stop to keep out Akinfenwa's snap-shot from just inside the area, before play was straight back up the other end as Michael Timlin went close with a low drive from McNamee's well-worked corner.
Town edged ahead on 31 minutes as Cox took another opportunity to silence the home support who had booed his every touch.
The prolific front man raced on to Billy Paynter's inch-perfect through ball and lifted it over stranded Cobblers keeper Chris Dunn from fully 25 yards.
Things just got better for the visitor's with four minutes of the half remaining as Cox turned from scorer to provider.
His flick into space from his own half found the on-rushing Paynter, and the big striker bore down on goal, held off the challenge of Northampton skipper Mark Hughes and curled a low shot into the far corner past Dunn.
Cobblers boss Stuart Gray rang the changes at half-time, making a double switch, and one of his replacements Andy Holt had an early chance but screwed his first time drive well wide after the hosts broke at pace.
Paynter dragged an effort past the far upright for Town soon after, while at the other end Scott Vernon's shot suffered a similar fate.
Northampton pulled a goal back in the 68th minute when Gordon Greer was penalised for a push on Akinfenwa 25 yards out.
Danny Jackman stepped up to curl the resulting free-kick over the wall and past the helpless Phil Smith to give the Cobblers hope.
But it was hope which was extinquished on 79 minutes when Cox completed his treble.
The goal owed everything to brilliant work from Paynter, who bundled Crowe off the ball on the right flank, charged into the area and produced a perfect cross which Cox turned across the line from a couple of yards with his chest.
In th 88th minute Ikechi Anya fired home a low drive after Sean Morrison had headed into his path, and the Cobblers then had what could have been a late equaliser from a corner ruled out for a foul on Phil Smith.
But Town held firm under some late, heavy pressure to climb further away from the drop zone at the expense of Northampton.
NORTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Chris Dunn; Paul Rodgers, Jason Crowe, Mark Hughes (c), Danny Jackman; Luke Guttridge, Abdul Osman, Giles Coke (Ikechi Anya 46), Liam Davis (Andy Holt 46); Adebayo Akinfenwa, Aleksandar Prijovic (Scott Vernon 57)
Subs not used: Paul Walker, Liam Dolman
TOWN (4-4-2): Phil Smith; Kevin Amankwaah, Gordon Greer (c), Sean Morrison, Jack Smith; Hal Robson-Kanu (Lilian Nalis 90), Owain Tudur Jones, Michael Timlin, Anthony McNamee (Mark Marshall 71); Billy Paynter, Simon Cox
Subs not used: Peter Brezovan, Lescinel Jean-Francois, Blair Sturrock
Comments(47)
Northstand1
says...
8:45pm Tue 24 Mar 09
u RRRRReeeeeeeeedddddd
ddddddssssssssss
graham81
says...
9:05pm Tue 24 Mar 09
tommyg
says...
9:22pm Tue 24 Mar 09
graham81
says...
9:25pm Tue 24 Mar 09
madred
says...
9:25pm Tue 24 Mar 09
graham81
says...
9:27pm Tue 24 Mar 09
tommyg
says...
9:29pm Tue 24 Mar 09
madred
says...
9:33pm Tue 24 Mar 09
tommyg
says...
9:41pm Tue 24 Mar 09
ssssssssssssssssssss
sssssssssssssssss 4-3 Full Time
tommyg
says...
9:42pm Tue 24 Mar 09
tommyg
says...
9:42pm Tue 24 Mar 09
graham81
says...
9:43pm Tue 24 Mar 09
stfclondon
says...
9:43pm Tue 24 Mar 09
That is the result of the season so far.
batch
says...
9:43pm Tue 24 Mar 09
I accused the players of being bottlers recently.
Answered in the best way possible - 3 wins on the bounce. Yeah it was a nervy last 5, but who cares.
Safety not assured yet, lets keep it going at Yeovil. A draw there or better puts us in a good position.
Lambourn Red
says...
9:43pm Tue 24 Mar 09
SSSSSSSS
Another 3 points 10 goals in 3 games 7 for Cox surely we cant blow this now, win our 2 home games against Crewe and Orient and we should be home and dry
tommyg
says...
9:44pm Tue 24 Mar 09
graham81 wrote:next season don't you mean?
SWINDON TILL I DIE IM SWINDON TIL I DIE..... get in you reds !!! we should be getting promoted this season. Big up Danny Wilson !!!!
Inky
says...
9:47pm Tue 24 Mar 09
nigel dunn
says...
9:48pm Tue 24 Mar 09
stfc1984
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9:48pm Tue 24 Mar 09
stfclondon
says...
9:48pm Tue 24 Mar 09
tradesman
says...
9:50pm Tue 24 Mar 09
SL6 Maidenhead
says...
9:55pm Tue 24 Mar 09
This should plenty of smiles on the faces around Swindon tommorrow.
The team are to be congratulated for carrying this out. At least it will put the frighteners on Yeovil on Saturday
Keep it going boys you will now note that all the suporters are behind you.
girlyred
says...
9:58pm Tue 24 Mar 09
graham81
says...
10:00pm Tue 24 Mar 09
tommyg wrote:no this season. If we didnt have bloody Muppet Malpas managing our team for so long we could have been out of here !!!
graham81 wrote: SWINDON TILL I DIE IM SWINDON TIL I DIE..... get in you reds !!! we should be getting promoted this season. Big up Danny Wilson !!!!next season don't you mean?
mgstfc43
says...
10:03pm Tue 24 Mar 09
Inky wrote:Mate - I know exactly how you feel. Gutted I couldn't make the game but absolutely delighted we've pulled this one out of the bag. Yeovil Away on Saturday - we owe them one after our insipid home performance.
Boy that was murder listening to sky - was waiting for the usual 'and a 90th min late goal from Northampton' but no we hung in there... well done lads and well done Coxy and Billy P.
By the way - whoever doubted Danny Wilson needs to take a long hard look at themselves. We were lucky to get such a decent manager and I have never doubted his ability to get us out of this mess. Top man DW.
Oi Den!
says...
10:04pm Tue 24 Mar 09
A lot of hard work still to be done but we should make it now.
Mondeaux
says...
10:05pm Tue 24 Mar 09
Anyone want a lift?.
YYooouu REDZ
Security-word - THEM - 0 US -lots
Penhill54
says...
10:07pm Tue 24 Mar 09
stfc1984
says...
10:07pm Tue 24 Mar 09
me and 2 mates have decided if we beat rovers and stay up were gona get the town badge on our chests
SWINDON TILL I DIE!!
tommyg
says...
10:08pm Tue 24 Mar 09
graham81 wrote:sorry, didnt understand the first comment. didnt realize you were talking about the whole season, just from now! having a bad day mate!
tommyg wrote:no this season. If we didnt have bloody Muppet Malpas managing our team for so long we could have been out of here !!!
graham81 wrote: SWINDON TILL I DIE IM SWINDON TIL I DIE..... get in you reds !!! we should be getting promoted this season. Big up Danny Wilson !!!!next season don't you mean?
Penhill54
says...
10:13pm Tue 24 Mar 09
stfc1984
says...
10:15pm Tue 24 Mar 09
Unityred
says...
10:24pm Tue 24 Mar 09
graham81 wrote:We can still reach the play offs!!
SWINDON TILL I DIE IM SWINDON TIL I DIE..... get in you reds !!! we should be getting promoted this season. Big up Danny Wilson !!!!
Can anyone, or all, settle an argument, i hope not but i can see Coxy being prised away from us in the summer but not for less than a £Million, a 'friend' of mine thinks he's worth no more than £750k?
Any advances?!
stfc1984
says...
10:28pm Tue 24 Mar 09
he will only go to a top 4-6 championship team but hopefully if we sign some new players and keep winning to show coxy we mean busy nest season he might just stay i mean he plays every game which is why u came here and the fans love him
he can do no wrong
dont go coxy
Unityred
says...
10:30pm Tue 24 Mar 09
Penhill54 wrote:You should'nt have any problems, i live a few miles away and went last year, the biggest problem i had then was getting a lift home with a car full of Yeovil fans, that was the longest 8 miles of their lives!!
Never been to Yeovil, will there be any problems getting in as I remember the police wanted to ban all away fans last season, wouldn't mind going, anyone know please
theonlyonewhoclapstherobin
says...
10:30pm Tue 24 Mar 09
Oi Den!
says...
10:41pm Tue 24 Mar 09
Unityred wrote:Steve Claridge rated Cox at £1.25m earlier in the season - and he's scored a lot of goals since then. We are no longer a club that needs to snap up the first decent offer that comes along. It will be interesting to see what the board are made of when the offers do start coming in at the end of the season.
graham81 wrote: SWINDON TILL I DIE IM SWINDON TIL I DIE..... get in you reds !!! we should be getting promoted this season. Big up Danny Wilson !!!!We can still reach the play offs!! Can anyone, or all, settle an argument, i hope not but i can see Coxy being prised away from us in the summer but not for less than a £Million, a 'friend' of mine thinks he's worth no more than £750k? Any advances?!
vistrom
says...
10:50pm Tue 24 Mar 09
International Robin
says...
12:19am Wed 25 Mar 09
SirReg
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1:01am Wed 25 Mar 09
bagofsweets
says...
6:05am Wed 25 Mar 09
Oi Den! wrote:Thing is though in this current economic downturn it is reckoned that up to ten clubs may go to the wall and hundreds of players will effectively be out of work. This is bound to have a detrimentaly effect on the cost of a player. On the plus side, with so many other players floating around on frees, maybe, just maybe clubs will make do with some one from that pool of players and just leave Mr Cox where he is...
Unityred wrote:Steve Claridge rated Cox at £1.25m earlier in the season - and he's scored a lot of goals since then. We are no longer a club that needs to snap up the first decent offer that comes along. It will be interesting to see what the board are made of when the offers do start coming in at the end of the season.graham81 wrote: SWINDON TILL I DIE IM SWINDON TIL I DIE..... get in you reds !!! we should be getting promoted this season. Big up Danny Wilson !!!!We can still reach the play offs!! Can anyone, or all, settle an argument, i hope not but i can see Coxy being prised away from us in the summer but not for less than a £Million, a 'friend' of mine thinks he's worth no more than £750k? Any advances?!
drrock
says...
6:15am Wed 25 Mar 09
Taking nothing away from them, however 3-1 up well into second half then????
no doubt Danny will work on this.
As said as a Town fan we could not have asked for anymore. What an advert for football
As posts have said not many clubs will be looking forward to playing us.
3 wins/9 points/12 clear sheets/10 gls well done super effort
drrock
says...
6:16am Wed 25 Mar 09
BurtBacharach
says...
6:41am Wed 25 Mar 09
Oi Den! wrote:I know Huddersfield wouldn't. Jutkiewicz is not popular atm.
Simon Cox and Billy Paynter - what a partnership. I bet there's not a team in our division who wouldn't have those two right now. A lot of hard work still to be done but we should make it now.
Leo Sayer
says...
9:13am Wed 25 Mar 09
avo
says...
10:19am Wed 25 Mar 09
Not over yet and we still look unfit from 75 minutes onwards but what a result, well done lads.
jhnhck says...
8:40pm Tue 24 Mar 09