Northampton Town v West Bromwich Albion LIVE: New signings involved as Cobblers host Baggies in Sixfields friendly
Sixfields hosts its first friendly of pre-season this evening when Cobblers entertain Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion. Town beat St Mirren and drew with Dundee United during last week’s training camp in Scotland but are back on home turf tonight. We will have updates throughout the evening here…
Cobblers v West Brom live
Key Events
- First pre-season friendly at Sixfields
- All eight new signings could be involved
- West Brom were beaten by Stevenage in their first friendly
Hello and welcome to a sun-drenched Sixfields. Cobblers are back on home turf tonight for the first time since their play-off semi-final defeat to Mansfield in May. It’s come around quick!
The disappointment from how last season ended has (mostly) gone and been replaced by a sense of excitement and anticipation ahead of the new campaign. Eight new signings have come through the door, all of which could be involved against West Brom tonight.
Stay tuned for updates...
Cobblers have already played three matches in pre-season, drawing with Nottingham Forest U23s in a practice game behind closed doors before two friendlies during their trip to Scotland last week. They won 3-1 against St Mirren before drawing with Dundee United.
West Brom, meanwhile, opened their pre-season campaign with defeat to Stevenage on Saturday. Not that results mean anything at this stage of course...
Team news
Three new signings start for the Cobblers tonight - Ben Fox, Sam Sherring and Akin Odimayo. The other five are on the bench, which also includes a trialist.
Cobblers XI: Maxted, Odimayo, Guthrie (c), Sherring, Koiki, McWilliams, Sowerby, Fox, Hoskins, Pinnock, Appere.
Bench: Burge, Lintott, Haynes, Tomlinson, Dyche, Abimbola, Cross, Bowie, Hylton, Connor, Trialist.
Handy looking West Brom XI...
Button, Furlong, Townsend, O’Shea, Ajayi, Livermore, Molumby, Wallace, Reach, Robinson, Dike
Approaching kick-off at Sixfields. First chance for the locals to see what the new boys can do.
Not yet sure how Cobblers will line up. Suspect it will be three in defence with Hoskins and Koiki as wing-backs but may also be a flat back four with Odimayo RB. The business done over the summer suggests Brady is thinking of going to a back three this season.
West Brom have got their big guns out, including £7million signing Daryl Dike and summer addition Jed Wallace. John Swift is on the bench. One-time Cobblers loanee Darnell Furlong also starts.