Battling Cobblers edged out by Leicester in Carabao Cup opener

Town trailed 1-0 at half-time and the soft nature of Caleb Okoli’s 16th-minute header would have frustrated manager Chris Hogg given how well his side competed and matched Leicester across the first half.

The shot count was three apiece at the break and it continued to be a largely even contest in terms of chances in the second half, even if the home side totally dominated possession.

Cobblers tried to give it more of a go in the closing stages, and they did have one or two moments that could have yielded an equaliser on another day, but it wasn’t to be and instead they suffer another first round defeat in this competition.

Zach Jeacock, Janoi Donacien, James Maxwell, Connor Evans and Harvey Saunders all made their Cobblers debuts from the start, with Matty Warhurst on the bench alongside new signing Lee Evans, who only joined the club on Friday. Logan Briggs was ineligible against his parent club.

The new season was only 40 seconds old when its first big moment arrived as Cobblers immediately pressed high and forced Leicester into a major error at the back, but Saunders’ shot lacked power and goalkeeper Jakub Stolarzcyk was able to recover.

The game then took on the expected pattern, Leicester dominating possession and Cobblers made to do a lot of chasing, but Saunders’ miss remain the only moment of note - until the 16th minute.

That was when the home side edged into the lead via a slightly unusual goal as Okoli’s seemingly weak header from a Luke Thomas corner somehow evaded everyone and dribbled into the back of the net.

Giving away such a soft goal would have disappointed Hogg in itself but what made it more frustrating was the fact that his side otherwise competed well and limited Leicester to very few dangerous moments.

Although the Foxes racked up 80 per cent possession in the first half, the shot count was three apiece at the break after Stolarzcyk saved from Evans and Jon Guthrie headed wide.

It was more of the same in the second half as Leicester patiently kept the ball and went close through Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Stephy Mavididi, while Cobblers occasionally threatened on the break.

Hogg turned to his bench just after the hour, calling for Warhurst and Joe Wormleighton, followed by Sam Hoskins and Max Dyche, but Leicester remained in control of the tie.

Town hung in there though as Lee Evans made his debut late on, and there were moments where they might have forced penalties but it wasn’t to be and Leicester held on.

Leicester: Stolarczyk, Joseph (Aluko 87), Souttar (c), Okoli, Thomas, Skipp, Alves (Burns 61), Braybrooke, Cullen (Choudhury 87), Mavididi (Watson 61), Reid (Page 79)

Subs not used: Bausor, Coulibaly, Neale, Carr

Cobblers: Jeacock, Donacien (Wormleighton 63), Moore, Guthrie (c), Maxwell, Perkins (L Evans 83), Fornah, C Evans (Dyche 70), Swyer (Hoskins 70), Saunders, List (Warhurst 63)

Subs not used: Fitzsimons, Ashton, Moon-Arnaez

Referee: Ollie Yates

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