Cobblers hold Cambridge in hard-fought pre-season friendly

Town upped their intensity levels from previous friendlies and played some neat football in the first half before both sides missed good chances to win it after the break.

Connor Evans was on the bench, involved for the first time since joining the club last week, while trialist Grant Ward started in one of six changes from the team that played against Birmingham on Saturday.

Cobblers moved away from four at the back and instead started in a 3-4-3 shape with Kamarai Swyer and Logan Briggs either side of Elliott List in attack and Joe Wormleighton and James Maxwell at wing-back.

Gassan Ahadme and List exchanged half chances in the opening six minutes, both of which were easily saved, and that set the tone for a competitive and well-contested first half, one that was edged by the away side.

A slick Cobblers move ended with James Maxwell unable to pick out a team-mate in the middle, while Zach Jeacock was at full stretch to claw away Ben Knight’s free-kick.

The visitors sliced through Cambridge again later in the half and this time Maxwell slipped in Logan Briggs, whose cross just evaded Wormleighton in the middle, before Briggs himself didn’t miss the target by much when taking aim from 20 yards, and then Kamarai Swyer forced Jake Eastwood to tip over in first half stoppage-time.

There were changes in both shape and personnel at the break as Elliott Moore, Dean Campbell and Harvey Saunders all came on, which meant Jack Perkins moved to left-back in a 4-2-3-1.

Cobblers created the best chance of the game nine minutes into the second half when Briggs’ jinking run led to Saunders finding space in the box, but his shot was blocked by a defender on the line.

Then came Cambridge’s turn to miss a big opportunity after they played through their hosts and a cross found Gassan Ahadme unmarked at the back post, only for the striker to smack the crossbar.

Town also hit the crossbar when Briggs dug out a shot from 20 yards and clipped the frame of the goal before Evans got his first taste of action in a Cobblers shirt.

He almost set up a goal within eight minutes of coming on, poking the ball through to Saunders, who dragged inches wide, and Cambridge also nearly won it late on with Jeacock denying Ahadme’s close-range header.

Cobblers: Jeacock, Donacien (Campbell 45), Dyche, Maxwell (Saunders 45), Guthrie (c) (Moore 45), Wormleighton, Ward, Perkins, Swyer (Evans 69), Briggs (Hoskins 69), List (Warhurst 69)

Subs not used: Dadge, Fitzsimons, Fornah, Dobson, Ashton

Cambridge: Eastwood, Bennett, Perry, Bauer, Heath, Mpanzu, McLoughlin, Jobe, McConnell, Knight, Ahadme

Subs: Hughes, Ball, Watts, Appere, Battrum, McAlinney, Lavery, Bradshaw, Herd, McDougald

Referee: Neil Hair