Makeshift Cobblers dig out gutsy draw against Carlisle United to stay second in League Two

Cobblers kept themselves second in League Two with four games of the season to go after a resolute performance in drawing 0-0 on the road to promotion rivals Carlisle United on Saturday.

Town were missing seven first-team defenders at Brunton Park but produced another terrific show of resilience for a 15th clean sheet of the season – and ninth in 16 games – as they kept their destiny in their own hands.

Both teams had their moments in a tight and tense first-half but the importance of the occasion made for cagey contest and it wasn’t until the second period when things opened up.

There was one big chance apiece for either team to snatch victory but the game would end in stalemate, a result that suits Cobblers ahead of Tuesday’s game at Sutton United. Elsewhere, Stevenage and Bradford both won and Stockport drew.

There was no Harvey Lintott in the squad due to injury so midfielder Jack Sowerby started at centre-half in a back three. Shaun McWilliams returned to the bench but there were still 11 players missing through injury, including seven defenders.

Roared on by a big crowd at Brunton Park, the home side started well and were first to threaten when Lee Burge was down quickly to ensure Omar Patrick’s low shot didn’t find a way past him.

Cobblers withstood Carlisle’s strong start though and came into the game as Marc Leonard had Tomas Holy scrambling with an ambitious effort from the halfway line before David Norman scrambled wide from a corner and Louis Appéré threw himself at Sam Hoskins’ cross without getting a touch.

There was very little between the teams in a tight first-half but the clearest opportunity fell to Carlisle on 26 minutes when Ben Barclay met an in-swinging corner four yards out and glanced narrowly wide of the far post.

Cobblers’ most likely route to goal came from long-range efforts as Leonard scuffed one off target before Mitch Pinnock and Ryan Haynes both cleared the crossbar.

The last notable action of the first-half saw Josh Mellish shoot hard and low and straight at Burge, and the theme of the game continued after the restart with Town’s stopper saving comfortably from Omar Patrick.

Up until that point, neither goalkeeper had been overly extended but that changed on 53 minutes with Hoskins spinning and shooting on the edge of the and Holy springing himself to his right to keep his goal intact.

Carlisle’s ‘keeper was required again two minutes later as a the best chance of the game fell Town’s way when Pinnock was deemed onside and he squared for Will Hondermarck, who couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and Holy blocked with his body.

The game was starting to really open up and Carlisle hit back with Kristian Dennis so close to scoring but somehow both his initial header and follow-up effort were scrambled off the line by Burge.

That flurry of activity proved brief as things settled down again, however, and whilst United did apply late pressure, Town stood firm and refused to buckle to earn themselves a well-deserved and potentially vital away point.

Carlisle: Holy, Armer, Huntington ©, McCalmont (Devitt 73), Barclay, Mellish, Moxon (Edmondson 87), Gibson, Guy, Patrick (Gordon 61), Dennis (Garner 73)

Subs not used: Kelly, Gardner, Robinson, Whelan

Cobblers: Burge, Sowerby (McWilliams 79), Guthrie ©, Norman, Hoskins, Haynes, Leonard, Hondermarck, Pinnock, Bowie, Appéré (Yengi 86)

Subs not used: King, Osew, Tomlinson, Wright-Phillips

Referee: Rebecca Welch

Attendance: 8,292

Cobblers fans: 589