Mills suffers bad injury as Cobblers are held to a draw by Crawley Town

Cobblers captain Joseph Mills was stretchered off with what looked a serious ankle injury as his side were held to a goalless draw by Crawley Town on Saturday afternoon.

At the same scene where Harry Smith and Shaun McWilliams were also stretchered off on Town's last visit, Mills appeared in a lot of pain after a heavy challenge and had to be taken from the field after lengthy treatment.

As for the game itself, the first-half ended goalless but it was not without some entertaining moments as Crawley edged it on chances while Cobblers started and finished the half on top.

The visitors improved after half-time, dominating possession and looking much the likelier team to go and grab the win, but they had to make do with a point, their first draw of the campaign.

Danny Rose and Jordan Flores kept their places in the team following Tuesday's cup tie with AFC Wimbledon as Jon Brady made three changes from the last league game, with Fraser Horsfall also starting again.

An early Cobblers corner led to a chance at the other end as Crawley broke away and Tyler Frost cut inside Aaron McGowan before seeing a shot deflect kindly for Liam Roberts to gather.

Then it was Town's turn to go close, and this was an even better chance as Sam Hoskins flicked on Mitch Pinnock's long throw to send Kion Etete through on goal, but Glenn Morris stood up and made a good save.

Whilst the game then settled down after an open start, both sides continued to look capable of creating chances and two fell in quick succession for Frost just short of the hour-mark, but both times he fluffed his lines, scuffing the first and skying the second.

Crawley had upped it and their third opening in as many minutes was probably the best of the lot when Sam Ashford got the wrong side of Town's defence and bore down on goal but he was thwarted by an excellent low stop by Roberts.

Cobblers needed to get a grip on things and they did so as half-time approached, going close themselves when Pinnock's long throw into the box was cleared out to Hoskins, whose sweet first-shot whistled a fraction wide.

Once again Etete carried Town's biggest threat and he was off target with a couple of half chances in the closing stages of the first-half.

The two teams exchanged long-range shots within five minutes of the restart but neither Hoskins nor Jake Hessenthaler troubled the target.

Flroes, who had been a peripheral figure in the first-half, then burst into life with a lovely bit of play, spinning his man in midfield before sliding a fine ball through to Etete, but with the angle tightening, Morris raced off his line to deny him.

Just as the game was opening up, Town's unfortunate record with bad injuries at Crawley continued when Mills took a nasty whack after a fine piece of defending and had to be stretchered off after prolonged treatment.

Neither side really went all out for the win but Cobblers did more of the pressing as Morris tipped Pinnock's long-range driller around the post before he caught Hoskins' glancing header.

But despite eight minutes of stoppage-time, the game ended all square.

Crawley: Morris, Davies, Francillette, Craig (c), Dallison (Tsaroulla 89), Powell, Hessenthaler, Ferry (Appiah 60), Frost (Payne 60), Ashford, Nadesan

Subs not used: Noukeu, Gallacher, Tilley

Cobblers: Roberts, McGowan, Horsfall, Guthrie, Mills (c) (Koiki 73), Lewis, Flores, Pinnock, Hoskins, Etete (Kabamba 79), Rose (Connolly 73)

Subs not used: Maxted, Nelson, McWilliams, Ashley-Seal

Referee: Lee Swabey

Attendance: 2,284

Cobblers fans: 415