Spirited young Cobblers beaten by Burton but still progress to Trophy knockout stages

Qualification to the next round was effectively guaranteed ahead of kick-off due to Town’s vastly superior goal difference but five teenagers started against Albion, including four in defence, before another four came on and that inexperience eventually told after an even start.

Neo Dobson scored his third goal in the space of eight days with just two minutes played but Burton had picked a much stronger side and that was reflected by their dominance as Nick Akoto levelled before quickfire goals from Dylan Williams and Charlie Webster made it 3-1 at half-time.

Martyn Waghorn opened his Town account immediately after the restart but Romelle Donovan restored the two-goal cushion within seconds and then things threatened to turn messy as the hosts finished with eight teenagers on the pitch.

Fortunately, though, whilst Ben Whitfield did add another, Burton’s finishing in the final 20 minutes was wasteful and the deficit remained at just three, which means Cobblers finish second in Southern Group F and face an away tie in the next round.

Waghorn made his full Cobblers debut and he was joined in the side by Tyler Roberts as Jon Brady again selected a mixture of young and old, with five academy players starting.

Four teenagers – Reuben Wyatt, Kiantay Licorish-Mullings, Josh Tomlinson and Matty Ireland – made up the back four, but there were no sign of nerves early on as Town flew out of the traps and led inside 90 seconds.

Will Hondermarck cut out a loose pass and found Waghorn who then supplied a lovely cross into Dobson and the young striker took an excellent first touch and finished well past Harry Isted.

Waghorn almost caught out Isted with an audacious 40-yard chip before Jack Cooper-Love spurned Burton’s first big chance, shooting straight at Nik Tzanev having been left unmarked in the penalty box.

The visitors’ greater experience in forward areas was starting show against Town’s young defence and they were back on level terms on 14 minutes when Akoto was too strong for Ireland and headed in Williams’ cross at the back post.

Liam McCarron might have given a penalty had he gone to ground under pressure following a driving run while Dobson was not far wide after Licorish-Mullings launched one of his missile long throws into the box.

But Burton remained the dominant force and after Tzanev saved from both Cooper-Love and Rumarn Burrell, they moved ahead on 36 minutes when Williams latched onto a long ball and rifled home.

It was 3-1 just three minutes later as Webster finished off good work by Ben Whitfield and Burton threatened more before half-time but Town survived without any further damage.

Brady made three changes at half-time with Roberts and McCarron among those coming off as youth team trio Ollie Evans, Charlie Carroll and Freddie Findlay were all introduced, meaning Cobblers now had seven teenagers on the pitch.

Nonetheless, they did pull one goal back when Waghorn bravely headed in Samy Chouchane’s cross two minutes after the restart, but Burton responded immediately via Donovan’s thumping finish.

With Harry Guess the latest academy player to come on, joined by James Wilson, Albion’s dominance only increased and they created chances at will, scoring a fifth through Whitfield after Tzanev saved well from Donovan.

Tzanev got a strong hand to Donovan’s fierce hit before Cooper-Love missed a sitter and 5-2 was how it finished up as the contest petered out.

Match facts

Cobblers: Tzanev, Wyatt, Licorish-Mullings, Tomlinson ©, Ireland (Findlay 45), Hondermarck (Guess 60), Chouchane (Wilson 60), McCarron (Carroll 45), Roberts (Evans 45), Dobson, Waghorn. Subs not used: Burge, Rayfield

Burton: Isted ©, Godwin-Malife (Newall 60), Webster, Akoto (Oakes 77), Cooper-Love, Burrell, Williams, Sraha, Bannon, Whitfield (Taroni 70), Donovan. Subs not used: Watt, Orsi, Armer, Dudek

Referee: James Durkin

Attendance: 778

Burton fans: 59