Cobblers narrowly beaten by Leicester City in pre-season opener

Cobblers were beaten 1-0 by Leicester City in their opening pre-season friendly at Sixfields on Saturday.

Town produced a good account of themselves on a wind-swept afternoon but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s well-taken header, scored after 27 minutes, gave the Championship side the spoils.

New signing Patrick Brough started for Northampton but otherwise it was pretty much as you were from the team that ended last season, including returning loanee Kieron Bowie. There were eight trialists on the bench, one of which was reportedly 20-year-old former Aston Villa midfielder Hayden Lindley, plus four youngsters.

Leicester named a very strong side which included Jamie Vardy, Harry Winks and Conor Coady, but they spent much of the opening 15 minutes on the back foot as Cobblers started well.

Mitch Pinnock’s shot deflected wide and a couple of corners came to nothing, but Leicester began to show their quality and a sustained period of possession culminated in Dewsbury-Hall heading home a 27th-minute opener.

Cobblers were down to 10 men at the time after Shaun McWilliams limped off with a knock, eventually replaced by Trialist E, but the hosts still had their moments as Max Dyche’s header looped wide before Brough’s low cross almost picked out an unmarked Bowie in the middle.

Jamie Vardy dragged his shot wide after getting the wrong side of Town’s defence late in the first half, and he followed that by firing into the side-netting via a deflection.

Cobblers introduced a couple more trialists at the start of the second half but Lee Burge remained on the pitch and he prevented Leicester from doubling their lead with a superb double stop from Vardy and then Dennis Praet.

Jon Brady rang further changes on the hour, introducing three more trialists plus Peter Abimbola, Jamari Hart and James Dadge. Leicester also brought on a host of substitutes and one of those – Wilfred Ndidi – really should have made it 2-0 when left all alone 10 yards out, only to side-foot wide.

Patson Daka cleared the crossbar with another chance while Dadge produced a smart stop to tip over James Justin’s volley, and Leicester were almost punished for their wastefulness when Trialist B’s late free-kick was tipped around the post by Daniel Iversen.

Cobblers: Burge (Dadge 60), Lintott (Trialist C 45), Sherring (Hart 60), Dyche, Brough (Abimbola 60), McWilliams (Trialist E 28), Hondermarck (Hart 60), Pinnock (Trialist F 45), Hoskins © (Trialist D 60), Bowie (Trialist G 60), Appéré (Trialist B 60)

Subs not used: Jenkins, Trialist A, Trialist H

Leicester: Stolarczyk, Faes, Coady, Doyle, Castagne, Marcal-Madivadua, Winks, Pereira, Drewsbury-Hall, Praet, Vardy

Subs: Ward, Justin, Albrighton, Inheanacho, Souttar, Kristiansen, Daka, Vestergaard, Ndidi, Choudhury, Iversen, McAteer, Nelson

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 7,765