Toothless Cobblers succumb to tepid Oldham defeat at Sixfields

An error-strewn first half was not one for the purist as a direct, untidy and ultimately low-quality game of football yielded very little in the way of excitement or goalmouth action.

There were murmurings of discontent from home supporters towards the end of the first half, and they only grew louder with 20 minutes to play when Ollie Norburn’s low shot found the bottom corner.

That proved decisive as Cobblers drew another blank on home turf and Oldham, like Rotherham and Tranmere before them, claimed their first away win of the season at Sixfields, prompting boos at the full-time whistle.

After eight points from the last five, a sense of forward momentum had been building but it has all-but dissipated with this performance and defeat, which drops Town to 21st in League Two.

Chris Hogg recalled Josh Powell and Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh in place of James Maxwell and Sam Hoskins, who missed out with injury, in two changes from the weekend’s draw at Accrington.

Cobblers were slow to settle and that allowed Oldham to grab an early foothold, though neither goalkeeper was truly tested in a scrappy and bitty opening 15 minutes.

Despite the lack of excitement, Town really should have made more of a big opening 19 minutes in when Matty Warhurst blocked a clearance and the ball dropped to Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh, who failed to spot the completely unmarked Owen Dale and tried to go himself, only to be smothered by Matthew Hudson.

Elliott Moore headed straight at Hudson but Cobblers were undermined by sloppy mistakes and poor decision-making throughout a poor first half, much to the growing frustration of home supporters.

Oldham seldom threatened themselves but they did carve out one decent opportunity shortly before half-time when Mike Fondop arrived unmarked in the penalty box, but he got it all wrong and skewed well wide.

Goalless at the break, there was no tangible improvement at the start of the second half, and it would have got worse had Zach Jeacock not produced a flying save from Noah Chilvers.

Fondop also looped a header wide, before Cobblers did show flashes of promise with Joe Wormleighton and O’Brien-Whitmarsh off target after a couple of decent moves.

But the hosts were grateful for the woodwork just short of the hour-mark when Calum Kavanagh escaped down the right and lashed an effort off the underside of the crossbar.

It was then Northampton’s turn to strike the bar as a well-worked short corner saw Warhurst flick towards goal and the ball glance of Dale’s head and his the woodwork.

It felt as if the game was starting to open up and a goal was on the way, and unfortunately for Cobblers, that proved the case. Gus Scott-Morris launched a long throw into the box, a mad scramble ensued and just when the danger appeared to have passed, Norburn’s shot squirmed through a crowd of bodies and nestled into the bottom corner.

Town didn’t have long to find an equaliser and they never really threatened one, despite Logan Briggs, Harvey Saunders and Elliott List all coming on. Warhurst headed well wide but Oldham comfortably defended their penalty box to see out all three points.

Cobblers: Jeacock, Donacien, Moore, Guthrie (c), Wormleighton (List 73), Powell (Briggs 88), L Evans, C Evans (Saunders 88), O’Brien-Whitmarsh, Dale, Warhurst

Subs not used: Dadge, Dyche, Maxwell, Fornah

Oldham: Hudson, Scott-Morris, Robson, Pett, Monthé, Daniels, Norburn (c), Sutton, Chilvers (Nevitt 58), Kavanagh (Hammond 78), Fondop

Subs not used: Wilson, Fawunmi, Tahir, Hawkes, Temple

Referee: Carl Brook

Attendance: 5,098

Oldham fans: 365