Fox strike secures crucial win as Cobblers sink leaders Orient to start 2023 in style

The opening 45 minutes were scrappy and bitty and there were few chances and even fewer goals, but it was a costly half for Northampton who lost both Tyler Magloire and Shaun McWilliams to what looked like hamstring injuries.

However, it was all smiles come full-time after Ben Fox earned redemption.

Harshly sent off in the reverse fixture, this time he was the match-winner when squeezing home the game’s only goal early in the second-half.

Whilst Orient did have a goal ruled out for offside, Cobblers defended brilliantly in the final half-hour as the high-flying, in-form visitors failed to register a single shot after falling behind.

The O's also had Omar Beckles sent off in stoppage-time.

Jon Brady’s side have re-established a seven-point gap back to fourth but things get no easier with back-to-back away trips to Greater Manchester on the horizon.

Brady made three changes from the defeat to Swindon, one of which was enforced as Kieron Bowie replaced the injured Louis Appéré up front.

Josh Eppiah made his first league start of the season and Magloire also came back in, with Aaron McGowan and Ben Fox dropping to the bench.

Sam Sherring started at right-back and Mitch Pinnock took up a central role with Sam Hoskins and Eppiah out wide, but Orient started well and passed the ball crisply in the opening exchanges as Idris El Mizouni and Jayden Wareham both shot off target in the first 10 minutes.

The visitors were the better side but neither team really found their flow in the first-half and the game was not helped by injuries as defenders on both sides were forced off inside 22 minutes, Dan Happe for Orient and Magloire for the Cobblers.

Chances were at a premium but Orient did have the better moments in attack and they almost carved out a superb opener when Theo Archibald’s wonderful pass found Darren Pratley in behind Town’s defence, and his first-time volley needed to be tipped over by Lee Burge.

Eppiah was lively and he was close to getting a touch on Jon Guthrie’s knockdown inside the six-yard box while Pinnock’s cross was just in front of Bowie as Cobblers improved after going to three at the back, but not enough to create a serious chance.

They then suffered another blow when McWilliams limped off, replaced by Fox, and the eight minutes of stoppage-time which followed reflected what had been a stop-start, scrappy first period.

But it was all change just five minutes after the restart when Cobblers broke the deadlock.

The goal came from a brilliant counter-attack as Lawrence Vigouroux produced a fantastic save to deny Sam Hoskins but the hosts kept possession and Fox squeezed a shot into the bottom corner.

Beckles thought he had scored an immediate leveller but his goal, a tap-in from a free-kick, was disallowed for offside following a long consultation between linesman and referee.

Hoskins drove a free-kick into the wall as Town went in search of a second goal but it was all about their defending in the final 20 minutes.

Orient passed it well, patiently trying to work a way through, but the home side worked tirelessly to keep them at bay and their game management was excellent.

Between Fox’s opener and full-time, Orient did not have a single chance of note and their misery was compounded in stoppage-time when Beckles saw red for an elbow on Aaron McGowan.

The locals inside Sixfields did have to endure 11 agonising minutes of added time before huge roars greeted the full-time whistle.

Match facts

Cobblers: Burge, Sherring, Magloire (McGowan 22), Guthrie ©, Odimayo, McWilliams (Fox 41), Leonard, Eppiah (Hylton 70), Hoskins, Pinnock, Bowie

Subs not used: Maxted, McGowan, Lintott, Dyche, Haynes

Orient: Vigouroux, James, Happe (Ogie 18), Brown, Pratley © (Moncur 70), Beckles, Kelman, Hunt (Duke-McKenna 78), Archibald, Wareham, El Mizouni

Subs not used: Sargeant, Smyth, Clay, Sweeney

Referee: Chris Pollard

Attendance: 7,475

Orient fans: 1,272