Guthrie and Bowie on target as injury-hit Cobblers bounce back with excellent win at Lincoln City

Injury-hit Cobblers responded to their Boxing Day disappointment in the best possible way as goals from Jon Guthrie and Kieron Bowie steered them to an excellent and well-deserved 2-1 victory away at Lincoln City on Friday evening.

There was far more energy, purpose and intent about Town’s play compared to their timid performance at Stevenage just three days earlier, and they led at the break thanks to skipper Guthrie, who headed in his first goal of the season on the half-hour mark.

A wonderful counter-attacking goal, finished brilliantly by Bowie, doubled the lead early in the second half and whilst Timothy Eyoma immediately pulled one back for the hosts, a straight red card to City captain Paudie O’Connor virtually extinguished any hope of a comeback.

The win moves Cobblers back into the top 10 in League One and the three points were celebrated in remarkable style by manager Jon Brady, who charged down the touchline and towards the away fans once the full-time whistle sounded, first pumps galore and jumping with unbridled joy, as all the emotion came pouring out.

Lee Burge returned to the bench but Jon Brady was missing some big players at Sincil Bank as Sam Hoskins, Sam Sherring and Shaun McWilliams were all absent due to injury, which meant rare starts for Will Hondermarck and Tyreece Simpson.

Cobblers’ first shot came 72 minutes earlier than it did against Stevenage when Marc Leonard was narrowly off target from long-range with an early effort, but that did not open the floodgates in terms of goalmouth action in a very tight and cagey opening quarter.

Town eventually upped the tempo after a tepid first 25 minutes and they twice went close before making the breakthrough. Mitch Pinnock’s dangerous cross flashed across goal and narrowly avoided Kieron Bowie at the back post before Lukas Jensen was at full stretch to claw away Leonard’s 20-yard shot.

Leonard was involved again when Cobblers hit the front on the half-hour mark as a corner was recycled and he crossed for Guthrie, who nipped in front of the outrushing Jensen and headed into an empty net.

Guthrie was then back to a day job with a big block at the other end when keeping out Hakeeb Adelakun’s goalbound shot after Max Thompson had been quick off his line to block the initial effort.

Cobblers were untroubled at the start of the second half as Sowerby and Leonard controlled things in midfield, and they strengthened their grip on the game on 58 minutes with a superb counter-attacking goal. From defending their own penalty box, Town sped away down the other end through Simpson, McGowan and Leonard before Bowie curled a wonderful finish into the bottom corner.

That put the visitors into a commanding position but Lincoln hit straight back. Thompson saved smartly from Adelakun but from the resulting corner, Eyoma was given too much room to halve the deficit.

That injected Lincoln with impetus and confidence and Guthrie was in the right place to make a vital clearance before Thompson clawed away a dangerous cross that was threatening to creep in at the back post.

The home side’s momentum was checked with 13 minutes to go though when Paudie O’Connor was dismissed for a straight red card after catching Simpson with a swinging arm.

Simpson had a chance to seal it but he was denied by Jensen before Pinnock blazed over, and those misses would have come back to haunt the Cobblers had McGowan not made a crucial defensive header in the sixth minute of added time.

That aside, though, Cobblers defended well and were relatively comfortable across nine minutes of stoppage-time before the full-time whistle kick-started the celebrations, led by a pumped up Brady.

Lincoln: Jensen, Sorensen (Duffy 86), Jackson, Erhahon (Shodipo 72), O’Conor, Burroughs (Makama 58), Eyoma, Roughan, Adelakun (Vale 86), Hamilton, Bishop (Smith 86)

Subs not used: Wright, Mitchell

Cobblers: Thompson, McGowan, Willis, Guthrie © (Monthé 80), Brough, Sowerby, Leonard, Hondermarck (Hylton 82), Pinnock, Bowie (Odimayo 61), Simpson

Subs not used: Burge, Lintott, Dyche, Abimbola

Referee: Matt Corlett

Attendance: 8,661

Cobblers fans: 926