Sam Nombe’s equaliser combined with a Forest Green Rovers defeat, means City are top of the table heading into the final day
Exeter City will start the final day of the League Two season top of the table after earning a point at Northampton Town. Sam Nombe’s late equaliser ensured the clash at Sixfields finished 1-1 and with Forest Green Rovers beaten at home, the Grecians went top.
Chasing the title, City started the brighter of the two sides, but it was the promotion-chasing hosts who broke the deadlock on 30 minutes against the run of play. Mitch Pinnock played a nice one-two and then lashed home from 25 yards.
Tim Dieng nearly levelled seconds into the second half, before Cameron Dawson denied Josh Eppiah brilliantly to keep the score at 1-0. It was crucial as on 71 minutes, Nombe, with his first touch, poked home to equalise.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but neither could find one. The result damaged the Cobblers automatic promotion hopes and left their fate out of their hands. But as City started the day level on points with Forest Green, and with the Green Devils suffering a shock 3-1 down defeat by Harrogate Town, a victory over Port Vale at St James Park next Saturday and Exeter will be champions.
Read More – Northampton Town 1 Exeter City 1 – recap
For Northampton Town, manager Jon Brady named an unchanged side from the one who won 4-2 away at Leyton Orient last Saturday, and for the fourth game in a row. Former City goalkeeper Jonny Maxted was only on the substitute’s bench.
Matt Taylor made two changes from the promotion-winning team who beat Barrow 2-1 at St James Park on Tuesday. Offrande Zanzala, ineligible for that clash due to his loan from the Bluebirds, was recalled up front, with Kieran Phillips, who scored the vital equaliser, dropping out of the squad.
Sam Stubbs was also not involved, with City taking no risks with the defender’s knee injury after he only passed a late fitness test to play midweek, with Jonathan Grounds coming into the back three. Harry Kite returned to the bench after nearly three months out for a groin injury.
The Cobblers needed to win to boost their promotion hopes, but it was City who started the quickest, and inside two minutes, could have been ahead. A Pierce Sweeney cross found Zanzala in the six yard box, and while his first touch wasn’t the best, he looked certain to slot home, only for Ali Koiki to throw his body in the way for a block.
Soon at the other end, City goalkeeper Dawson was called into action. Louis Appere chested the ball down 30 yards out, took a touch and let fly, but the Sheffield Wednesday loanee was equal to it and kept it out, as did Liam Roberts when Matt Jay took aim just inside the box after being picked out by Josh Key, but his strike was tame.
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City were creating half chances – Dieng saw a shot from distance blocked – but slightly against the run of play, Town on the half hour took the lead. Moments after he saw a shot blocked by Cheick Diabate, Mitch Pinnock played a neat one-two with Sam Hoskins, and then from 25 yards, hit a first time strike. It flew into the bottom corner for his ninth of the season and delighted the home fans.
The concession was a blow for City, but they responded nicely, with Zanzala forcing a save from Roberts, albeit from an offside position, while Jon Guthrie got in a vital touch to stop Jay from having a tap-in.
Neither manager made a change at the break, but inside the opening minute, City could have levelled. Jevani Brown swung in a free-kick which was met by Dieng, but from point-blank range, Roberts made the save. Exeter kept it alive and broke to Diabate, but from 25 yards, his powerful strike ended up in the side netting.
The defender at the other end though was beaten for pace by Eppiah as Brady’s men broke, but Grounds just about managed to slide in at the last moment with a challenge to deny him. Taylor on 55 minutes made a double change, bringing on the fresh legs of Jake Caprice and Josh Coley for Jack Sparkes and Jay.
Dawson again came to City’s rescue. After the ball was given away, Northampton broke and the ball found its way to Eppiah just six yards out, but he was thwarted by the goalkeeper to keep the deficit to one when it looked as if it would become two. Town though were using all their experience and knowhow to control the game and take the sting out of it.
Sam Nombe replaced Zanzala with 20 minutes to go in City’s final change, and with his first touch, made it 1-1. Seconds after Eppiah had a goal ruled out for offside – the attacker was miles off – City broke. Caprice burst down the left, swung a cross into the box, and the striker at the near post got a flick on it and into the net it went. It was a first goal since December and a 10th of the season.
The momentum was with City, and Dieng narrowly headed over after a Key cross, as Taylor’s men pushed for a winner, while Brown was inches away from getting on the end of a teasing cross, but Coley kept City ahead throwing his body in the way of a Shaun McWilliams shot as the Cobblers had a succession of late free-kick.
Seven minutes of stoppage time were added on, as Brown and Eppiah both had chances to win it, but neither could find the target, and with the final touch of the game, Nombe headed one off the line to ensure it finished 1-1.
Northampton’s draw means that their promotion hopes are no longer in their own hands, with both Port Vale and Mansfield Town able to overtake them with a win on Monday. Vale finish the season at Exeter, while the Stags host Forest Green on the final day. And what a final day it will be as Exeter know one more win and the title is heading to Devon.
Northampton Town (4-2-3-1): Liam Roberts, Aaron McGowan (Joseph Mills, 29), Fraser Horsfall, Jon Guthrie, Ali Koiki, Jack Sowerby, Shaun McWIlliams, Josh Eppiah, Mitch Pinnock, Sam Hoskins, Louis Appere.
Subs: Jonny Maxted, Scott Pollock, Chanka Zimba, Idris Kanu,, Danny Rose, Max Dyche
Booking: Guthrie
Exeter City: (3-4-3) – Cameron Dawson, Pierce Sweeney, Cheick Diabate, Jonathan Grounds, Josh Key, Archie Collins, Tim Dieng, Jack Sparkes (Jake Caprice, 55), Matt Jay (Josh Coley, 55), Jevani Brown, Offrande Zanzala (Sam Nombe, 68)
Subs: Scott Brown, Alfie Pond, , Harry Kite,, Padraig Amond
Booking: Dieng, Sparkes, Brown, Sweeney, Collins
Attendance: 7764 (1449 away)
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