Honours even at Sixfields as Cobblers and Burton Albion draw a blank

Town hit the post in the second minute and then again right at the death but very little happened in between as both sides laboured in a low-quality encounter.

Jon Brady was dealt a triple blow before kick-off with Jordan Willis, Luke Mbete and Tariqe Fosu all ruled out due to injury, however there were welcome returns to the bench for Patrick Brough and Jack Sowerby.

Will Hondermarck, Jack Baldwin and Ali Koiki came into the starting line-up and Cobblers were fractions away from going ahead inside two minutes when a half cleared defensive header fell to Callum Morton and his left-footed effort clipped the post.

Mitch Pinnock and Hondermack were wasteful when space opened up for them in Burton’s half, but the visitors then started to win the tactical battle as they played through Northampton’s press and found dangerous positions in and around the home side’s box.

They didn’t make the most of those moments in terms of creating clear-cut chances but there were warning signs for Town as Ryan Sweeney’s header had to be clawed away by Lee Burge before the goalkeeper held Thomas Kalinauskas’ piledriver.

A flurry of yellow cards did little to improve the flow of the first half as Burton continued to look the more dangerous without overly troubling Burge’s goal, although both Koiki and Baldwin had to make vital defensive interventions in their own penalty area.

The game was goalless at the break and there was little improvement in the second half with both teams unable to find any fluidity or cohesion in attack.

Burton did go close when Orsi poked wide after Burge spilled Ben Whitfield’s long-range shot, though the flag did go up in any case, and the next time Whitfield went for goal it was more comfortably dealt with by Town’s goalkeeper.

Brady sent on Jack Sowerby and Patrick Brough in attempt to wrestle some sort of foothold and then came Liam McCarron to add an injection of pace but Cobblers still couldn’t get any forward momentum.

James Wilson and Akin Odimayo were also introduced late on, and right at the death the home side so nearly nicked it.

An excellent move in the third minute of stoppage-time saw McCarron drive forward on the right and find Odimayo, whose low cross was touched on by Pinnock and Hoskins’ low shot seemed destined for the net only for Max Crocombe to pull off a terrific low stop and tip the ball onto the post, preserving a point for his team and denying the Cobblers a last-gasp victory.

Match facts

Cobblers: Burge, McGowan (Odimayo 83), Baldwin, Guthrie ©, Koiki (Brough 74), Chouchane (Sowerby 74), Hondermarck (McCarron 76), McGeehan, Pinnock, Hoskins, Morton (Wilson 83). Subs not used: Tzanev, Dibley-Dias

Burton: Crocombe, Godwin-Malife (Akoto 80), Vancooten, Armer, Watt ©, Sweeney, Kalinauskas (Williams 80), Chauke, Whitfield, Bodin (Cooper-Love 24), Orsi. Subs not used: Isted, Burrell, Williams, Delap, Gilbert

Referee: Ben Atkinson

Attendance: 5,909

Burton fans: 410