Dobson nets twice as Cobblers ease past Leicester City to close in on knockout stages of EFL Trophy

TJ Eyoma marked his full debut with a goal when he opened the scoring on the half-hour mark before a pair of tidy second half finishes from Dobson, his first goals for the club, wrapped up a comfortable home victory at Sixfields and kept Town in control of Southern Group F.

Only defeat to Burton Albion in next Tuesday’s final group stage game, combined with victory for Notts County and a six-goal swing, would prevent Town from qualifying for the next round of the competition.

Josh Tomlinson captained a Cobblers XI that included a mixture of senior players and youngsters. Jack Sowerby, TJ Eyoma and Tyler Roberts were among the first-teamers involved while academy trio Kiantay Licorish-Mullings, Matty Ireland and Dobson also all started.

A slow start to the game was livened up by two big chances in as many minutes for Town but they failed to take either of them. Dobson couldn’t make the most of fine work by Roberts down the left before Sowerby oddly opted to pass instead of shoot after rounding Leicester goalkeeper Stevie Bausor, with Roberts then crowded out.

The first half was not the most riveting spectacle of football but Cobblers did edge ahead on the half-hour when Samy Chouchane was on the money with a corner and Eyoma rose well to head home.

Leicester had numerous dangerous attacks in the first half, with Olabade Aluko catching the eye down the left, but there was nothing to trouble Nik Tzanev in the home goal before the break.

The visitors turned up their threat level at the start of the second half and twice went close through Michael Golding, who shot straight at Tzanev and was then denied by Tyler Magloire’s superb block.

But Cobblers took control of the tie on 70 minutes when Roberts turned a defender inside out and forced Bausor to parry his shot back into the danger area where Dobson found the net with a low first-time finish.

And it was three for Town and two for Dobson with 10 minutes to play and once again Roberts was the provider. He did excellently to dig out a cross from the right and Dobson popped up at the back post where he applied another tidy finish on the volley.

Leicester finished with a flourish and only a smart save from Tzanev prevented them from having something to celebrate.

Cobblers: Tzanev, Licorish-Mullings, Magloire, Tomlinson ©, Eyoma (Pinnock 63), Ireland, Sowerby (Wyatt 45), Hondermarck (McGeehan 63), Chouchane (Rayfield 84), Dobson, Roberts (Carroll 87)

Subs not used: Dadge, Waghorn

Leicester: Bausor, Alves, Ewing (Page 76), Wormleighton (Evans 60), Cartwright, Godsmark-Ford ©, Pennant (King 70), Wilson-Brown, Joseph, Aluko, Golding (Monga 60)

Subs not used: Hill, French, Amartey

Referee: James Oldham

Attendance: 1,018

Leicester fans: 89