City kicked off the game, shooting towards the Imps end of Sincil Bank. The start was pretty even but was stopped just 2 minutes in due to an injury to Gareth McAuley. Northampton were the first to threaten the City goal when they won a 6^th minute corner but it came to nothing.

City kept Northampton in their own box around the 10 minute area when Beevers sent a throw-in into the box, McCombe flicked the ball on before Chambers hit it out for another throw. Mayo took the throw in and the ball fell to Green but the striker sent the ball well over and out for a goal kick.

Northampton gained 2 corners in quick succession on the 20^th minute but both were easily cleared by the Imps. City forged an impression attack in the 30^th thing when Beevers set Green free and the striker forced a corner. The resulting corner was headed goal ward by Jamie McCombe but it was cleared off the line.

McCombe was again involved when Mayo played McCombe through but the defender’s shot was easily saved by Harper and then Green also had a shot that was easily saved by Harper. In injury time, Northampton forced a few good chances but Sabin’s effort was cleared out for a corner before Marriott punched clear the corner and the relatively quiet half ended.

Northampton should have taken the lead 2 minutes into the second half when Taylor burst past Mayo and played the ball along the ground and went across the goalmouth and despite sticking out a leg, Sabin failed to prod the ball into the net. However, a few minutes later, Northampton were in front. Pedj Bojic picked up the ball in midfield and ran goalwards, going past several Imps players doing perfect statue impressions, before unleashing an excellent shot on the edge of the box that curled around Marriott and the favourites for the title were ahead.

The game slowed down tremendously and then former Northampton player, Derek Asamoah, replaced Meheta Molango and unlike when Asamoah came on in Cardiff, the substitution swung the game in City’s favour. City were level within 2 minutes of the substitution after Mayo chipped the ball into the box where Asamoah headed the ball towards Harper, the keep could only parry it into the bath of Birch who scrambled in his debut goal.

From this point on, there was only one team who looked like they were going to win and I’ll give you a hint, they weren’t playing in black. Green broke through within a minute of the goal but only a last ditch tackle denied what would probably have been a goal…….kick. City were now controlling the game and forced 3 corners, however, none of them came to anything.

There was very little action however in the rest of the game and despite City controlling the final 25 minutes, they couldn’t find a second goal, however, we’d have defiantly taken it before the game.

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