McWilliams hits dramatic late winner as 10-man Cobblers topple leaders Stevenage in five-goal thriller

Shaun McWilliams scored a brilliant late winner as Cobblers thrillingly beat league leaders Stevenage 3-2 in a sensational game that just about had it all at the Lamex Stadium on Saturday.

The contest was seemingly heading towards a fair 1-1 draw with 10 minutes to play but a remarkable finale ensued in which there were three goals and a red card. Kieron Bowie initially looked to have snatched victory with nine minutes to play but in fact it was McWilliams who volleyed home the winner after Boro had levelled for a second time. Danny Hylton was then sent off in stoppage-time to complete a chaotic afternoon but that could not prevent Cobblers from halting Stevenage’s 13-game winning run at home.

Jon Brady made some bold selection decisions and they paid off with a brilliant first-half performance from his side, which all started with Louis Appéré’s second-minute penalty. The visitors really should have been further ahead but they were pegged back with Stevenage’s first shot of the game after 36 minutes, Danny Rose predictably scoring against his old club.

That felt like a key moment in the contest and Boro did edge the second-half but they were to be stunned in an incredible final 10 minutes, with Bowie and then McWilliams both on target to get Cobblers back to winning ways in the most dramatic fashion.

Akin Odimayo made his full league debut for the Cobblers at Stevenage and Shaun McWilliams also returned to the starting line-up as Brady made two changes. In doing so, he shifted formation to three at the back with Marc Leonard omitted for tactical reasons. Sam Hoskins was again absent through injury.

Brady’s decisions left him open to criticism but they were immediately vindicated as Town flew out of the traps. Just 35 seconds were on the clock when Appéré latched onto Mitch Pinnock’s through pass and was fouled by Terence Vancooten for an exceptionally early spot-kick. Appéré picked himself up, dusted himself down and emphatically fired home from 12 yards to hand Cobblers the perfect start.

Northampton were playing with intensity and made all the early running, they were not far rom a second goal when defenders back-pedalled and Pinnock drove towards the edge of the penalty box where he placed a shot just wide of the far post.

It continued to be all Cobblers in the opening quarter and after another strong penalty shout was waved away, Sam Sherring missed a good chance to double the away side’s lead, denied by a terrific low save from Taye Ashby-Hammond. Pinnock also had another go but hesitated and allowed a defender to recover.

Northampton’s excellent start had rattled Stevenage and in particular manager Steve Evans and his frustration got the better of him half-an-hour in when he launched a furious tirade in the direction of the officials, resulting in two yellow cards and then a red all in the space of about 60 seconds.

It was all going so well for the away side when they were pegged back with a goal against the run of play. It was a mess defensively as Sherring and Lee Burge hesitated after possession was lost near halfway, allowing Rose to nip between the two and poke home Jake Taylor’s through ball.

That lifted Boro and they finished the first-half on the front foot with Dan Sweeney heading a good chance over the crossbar and Jamie Reid firing into the side-netting from the edge of the box.

The break came at a good time for Northampton but it did not disrupt Stevenage’s momentum and they squandered another decent opening to go ahead immediately after the restart as Reid shot tamely at Burge after beating the offside trap.

Cobblers could not make the most of their threat on the counter-attack in a more stop-start, fragmented second-half. Stevenage were edging it but Sweeney headed off target while Max Dyche, only just on, did likewise at the other end.

Northampton saw a couple more penalty shouts correctly waved away but they didn’t need any help from the officials to retake the lead with nine minutes to go. Danny Hylton did well to bring down Pinnock’s high ball and lay off to Bowie, who smashed home from the edge of the box via a deflection.

The lead last just a matter of moments though as Stevenage struck back. A corner was not cleared and the ball fell kindly for Alex Gibley to turn in and surely rescue a point for his side.

Cobblers responded superbly though and, remarkably, were back in front barely 60 seconds later. Hylton and Pinnock combined brilliantly on the left side and the latter’s cross was wonderfully volleyed into the bottom corner by McWilliams.

Hylton missed a great chance to seal it, dragging wide when one-on-one, and he was then sent off for pushing a Stevenage player in the face to complete a pretty remarkable cameo. Stevenage launched everything at Cobblers in seven agonising minutes of stoppage-time but they could find no equaliser as the visitors clung on on.

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, Piergianni ©, Sweeney, Vancooten, Bostwick, Earley (Clark 50), Taylor (Amoo 88), Smith, Gilbey, Reid (Norris 65), Rose

Subs not used: Chapman, Reeves, Campbell, Read

Cobblers: Burge, Sherring (Leonard 77), Guthrie, Odimayo (Dyche 66), Lintott, Koiki (Hylton 71), Sowerby, McWilliams, Pinnock, Bowie, Appéré

Subs not used: Maxted, McGowan, Haynes, Abimbola

Referee: Geoff Eltringham

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