Newcastle target Toney starts as Cobblers claim emphatic win at Worthing

Newcastle United target Ivan Toney was a starter as the Cobblers claimed a satisfying pre-season friendly win at Worthing on Tuesday night.
Ivan Toney started for the Cobblers at Worthing on TuesdayIvan Toney started for the Cobblers at Worthing on Tuesday
Ivan Toney started for the Cobblers at Worthing on Tuesday

Chris Wilder’s side were 5-2 winners on the south coast, coming out on top in an entertaining game held to mark the opening of the home side’s new 3G playing surface.

Toney, who has been at the centre of speculation regarding a transfer to the Premier League Magpies, played the opening 45 minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was the striker’s first action of pre-season for Town, and it was a similar story for winger Ricky Holmes who also played the first-half, with the pair combining for the Cobblers’ second goal.

On target for Town were trialists Gozie Ugwu and Sam Hoskins, as well as Holmes, Marc Richards and midfieler Joel Byrom.

The Cobblers were 3-1 up by the half-time break.

They took the lead on just five minutes, Ugwu pressurising Worthing goalkeeper Jack Fagan into an error, and slotting home.

The trialist injured himself while scoring, and was soon replaced by Hoskins, and moments later it was 1-1, Ben Pope racing on to a ball down the left and slotting past Ryan Clarke.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With 20 minutes gome the Cobblers regained the lead, with Hoskins playing his part as his far post cross was headed by Toney into the path of Holmes and he made no mistake.

Town were having the better of the game and were 3-1 ahead nine minutes before half-time with Hoskins the scorer of his second goal of pre-season, to add to his strike in Sunday’s 1-0 win at Sileby Rangers.

This time the former Yeovil man scored with his head, nodding home a lofted cross from Lawson D’Ath.

Town had the chance to make it 4-1 before the interval when Jason Taylor was upended in the box, but Holmes fluffed his lines with the spot-kick, Fagan diving to his right to save well and keep the score 3-1.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Cobblers made a host of changes for the second-half, and one of the new men, skipper Richards, made it 4-1 on 55 minutes, sliding the ball home at the goalkeeper’s near post after latching on to a ball over the top.

Worthing were still causing problems of their own on the attack, and they were given the chance to get back in the game on 64 minutes when Zander Diamond was penalised for a foul in the penalty area.

Unlike Homes earlier, Omar Bugil made no mistake, and it was 4-2 with 25 minutes to play.

Both sides were creating chances, but it was the Cobblers who scored their fifth on 78 minutes, with left-back Sam Warburton playing in Byrom, and the midfelder hammered the ball home.

Teams

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Worthing first half team: Jack Fagan, Will Hendon, Steve Metcalf, David O’Callaghan, Gary Elphick, Corey Heath, Harry Smith, Brannon O’Neill, Ben Pope, Ryan Morey, Lloyd Dawes

Cobblers first half team: Ryan Clarke, Josh Lelan, David Buchanan, Jason Taylor, Ryan Cresswell, Rod McDonald, Lawson D’Ath, John-Joe O’Toole, Gozie Ugwu (sub Sam Hoskins 9), Ivan Toney, Ricky Holmes

Worthing second half team: Ricky Banks, Matt Piper, Harvey Sparks, Matt Axell, Will Berry, Matt Hurley, Eddie Davies, Sibu Mwamba, Omar Bugil, Ryan Quirk, Jazz Rance

Cobblers second half team: Adam Smith, Chris Hackett, Sam Warburton, Zander Diamond, Rod McDonald, Nicky Adams, Danny Clifton, Joel Byrom, Alfie Potter, Marc Richards, Sam Hoskins