Out-of-sorts Cobblers well below-par in disappointing defeat at Stevenage

Cobblers provided little festive cheer for their supporters as they turned in one of their worst performances of the season when soundly beaten 3-0 by Stevenage at the Lamex Stadium on Boxing Day.

Northampton were non-existent in attack and error-strewn at the back during a very poor opening 45 minutes as Stevenage eased their way into two-goal lead via goals from Jamie Reid and Jordan Roberts.

Town did not register a single shot until the 75th minute and by that stage the game had well and truly gone with Elliot List making it 3-0 midway through the second half.

Jon Brady and his players are still in the top half in League One and have enough credit in the bank to be forgiven for an off day, even if they were miles below par, but they must ensure this was just a one-off and nothing more.

Jon Guthrie replaced Shaun McWilliams in the only change from the win over Oxford United as manager Jon Brady switched to a three-man defence. McWilliams’ workload is being managed amid the rush of festive fixtures and so he started on the bench.

Guthrie was immediately involved but not in the way he would have wanted as Stevenage led after just two minutes. Town’s skipper collided with team-mate Sam Sherring when going for the same ball and that allowed Elliott List to send through Reid who slotted past Max Thompson.

That set the tone for a one-sided first half. Cobblers were not at ease in their new shape and further errors went unpunished before Brady was forced to make a change when Sherring limped off with an injury on 22 minutes.

Tyreece Simpson replaced him and went through the middle as Town switched to 4-3-3, but Stevenage remained on top and Dan Sweeney was inches away from doubling the lead when his near post header dropped wide.

The visitors just could not get a foothold in the contest and struggling to muster anything in terms of chances or even meaningful attacks in an increasingly scrappy and low-quality first half.

Individual mistakes continued to present chances to Stevenage as Guthrie blocked from List and Thompson got a vital touch on Reid’s low cross to prevent a tap-in at the back post.

A second goal did arrive three minutes before the break and it came in freakish circumstances when Roberts’ cross from the left touchline took a slight nick off Jordan Willis and floated over a stranded Thompson and into the net.

And it should have been three in first half stoppage-time when Cobblers were again all at sea defensively and List inexplicably side-footed wide with the goal at his mercy.

There was no improvement in the early stages of the second half so Brady turned to his bench and sent on both Will Hondermarck and Akin Odimayo in place of Jack Sowerby and Willis.

But his side continued to labour badly and things turned from bad to worse midway through the second half when Hondermarck’s error led to List firing across Thompson and into the bottom corner for a third goal.

Cobblers finally had their first shot after 75 minutes but it was easily blocked and normal service resumed when Stevenage went back up the other end and Thompson saved well from Reid before Aaron McGowan brilliantly cleared the follow-up effort off the line.

Another effort from Simpson flew over while the hosts continued to threaten right up until full-time before the referee eventually put the visitors out of their misery.

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Butler, Piergianni ©, Sweeney, L Thompson (B Thompson 90), Burns (Forster-Caskey 90), Freeman, List (Hemmings 90), Roberts (MacDonald 90), Reid (Pressley 90)

Subs not used: Hegyi, N Thompson

Cobblers: Thompson, Willis (Odimayo 57), Guthrie © (Monthé 79), Sherring (Simpson 22), McGowan, Brough, Sowerby (Hondermarck 57), Leonard, Pinnock, Hoskins, Bowie (Hylton 79)

Subs: Dadge, McWilliams

Referee: Will Finnie

Attendance: 5,164

Stevenage fans: 895