Cobblers beaten by slick Norwich City in opening pre-season friendly

The impressive Jonathan Rowe scored twice in the opening 12 minutes before Kenneth Aboh added a late third, but regardless of the result, it was a useful workout for Town as the majority of Jon Brady’s squad got important minutes in their legs.

Seven trialists were involved for the Cobblers, one of which started, and Callum Morton was the only summer signing to feature in the first half, with Jack Baldwin and Nik Tzanev on the bench. Cameron McGeehan, James Wilson and Friday’s new arrival Tom Eaves were all not quite ready to be involved.

Norwich led after just three minutes at Sixfields when Rowe did brilliantly to head in Jack Stacey’s cross, and he had a second not long later after capitalising on a bad error from Jon Guthrie.

Cobblers did stem the tide somewhat but Norwich remained comfortably the superior side and they could have been further ahead at half-time with Burge forced into action on three occasions. His best save came from Abu Kamara, he then denied the electric Rowe a first half hat-trick before tipping Gabriel Sara’s free-kick around the post. Sara also clipped the crossbar with a sweet long-range strike.

Both teams changed their entire XIs at the break and Northampton’s second half team included a mixture of first-team players such as Tyler Magloire and Jack Baldwin, youngsters Neo Dobson and Reuben Wyatt, and six trialists.

That inevitably made for a very scratchy and disjointed second half but one of the trialists – number 47 – was a livewire for Town as he shot wide before twice crossing dangerously, with another trialist – number 43 – and Dobson both nodding over.

Cobblers’ best chance of the afternoon fell to number 48 late on but he scuffed wide and Norwich made it three with essentially the last act of the game as Aboh tapped in after a good initial save from Nik Tzanev.

Cobblers first half team: Burge, Odimayo, Willis, Guthrie ©, Koiki, Fox, Hondermarck, Pinnock, Hoskins, Morton, Trialist A

Cobblers second half team: Tzanev, Magloire, Baldwin, Wyatt, Dobson, Trialist B, Trialist C, Trialist D, Trialist E, Trialist F, Trialist G

Norwich first half team: Long, Stacey, Duffy, Sainz, Fassnacht, Sara ©, Sorensen, Hills, Montoia, Kamara, Rowe

Norwich second half team: Mair, Fisher, Welch, Springett, Tomkinson, Renecke, Adegboyega, Djedje, Shipley (Forsyth 82), Manning, Aboh

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Attendance: 2,626

Norwich fans: 774