Winning run ended as below-par Cobblers suffer Wycombe defeat
The Cobblers' winning run was brought to a shuddering halt on Saturday as they were well beaten 2-0 by struggling Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.
It was a below-par performance from Kevin Nolan's side, who were second best throughout the Sky Bet League One clash and can have few complaints about the result, with Michael Duff celebrating victory in his first match in charge of the Chairboys.
The new manager bounce certainly seemed to have a positive affect on Wycombe, who started well and took a deserved lead on 18 minutes through Dan Harvie.
The Cobblers briefly rallied at the start of the second half, but failed to seriously threaten thye home side's goal, and the Chairboys wrapped things up with a second goal on 72 minutes from substitute George Abbott.
Town were forced into one change to the team that beat Blackpool last weekend, with Nesta Guinnes-Walker missing out with a strain and Jordan Thorniley taking his place.
New signing Jack Vale was handed a place on the bench, which also included Michael Jacobs for the first time this season.
The home side started in lively fashion, and on six minutes Lee Burge did well to keep out a curling 25-yard strike from Ewan Henderson.
Wycombe continued to probe with their neat, passing football, and they opened the scoring with a well-worked goal on 18 minutes.
Luke Leahy provided the perfect, chipped pass over the top to left-back Dan Harvie, who ghosted in from the, beating the offside trap, took a touch and drilled the ball home inside Burge's near post.
The Cobblers wanted a flag but it never came.
Wycombe were clearly the better side in the first half, but they lost their way after taking the lead, while Town failed to register a serious effort on goal in the entire 45 minutes.
The only plus point from a such poor first half as far as Town were concerned was that they were only trailing 1-0.
The Cobblers started the second half looking a lot sharper, and had their first chance on 50 minutes, but Ethan Wheatley sliced his left-footed shot from the edge of the box wide after latching on to a ball over the top from Thorniley.
Dean Campbell had Town's first shot on target on the hour, but his left-footed effort from 20 yards was easy for home keeper Mikki van Sas.
Wycombe were still posing a threat at the other end, and after Woodrow had sent a shot inches wide, the home side doubled their advantage on 72 minutes through Abbott, and a smart finish it was too.
Abbott received the ball with his back to goal 20 yards out, showed strngth to hold off the attentions of Jack Burroughs and then showed smart footwork to deceive Dyche, before poking the ball home from 15 yards.
The goal totally knocked the stuffing out of an already off-colour Cobblers, who were lucky not to concede a third when Bradley Fink headed against the crossbar, and Sam Hoskins also produced a superb block to deny the same player.
A flurry of substitutions, including debuts for both Kamarai Swyer and Vale, failed to have any real affect, and it was Burge who had to beon his toes again in stoppage time to deny Harvie a second goal after a swift Wycombe counter-attack.
Match facts
Wycombe: Mikki Van Sas, Jack Grimmer, Dan Harvie, Taylor Allen, Luke Leahy, Sam Bell (70m,Caolan Boyd-Munce), Cauley Woodrow (86m, Donnell McNeilly), Ewan Henderson (70, Bradley Fink), Jamie Mullins (62m, George Abbott), Connor Taylor, Fred Onyedinma (86m, Fin Back). Substitues not used: Will Norris, Dan Casey
Cobblers: Lee Burge, Conor McCarthy (69 mins, Jack Burroughs), Dean Campbell, Sam Hoskins, Cameron McGeehan, Tyrese Fornah (75m, Kamarai Swyer), Jordan Thorniley, Ethan Wheatley (75m, Jack Vale), Jack Perkins, Terry Taylor (69m, Elliot List), Max Dyche (75m, Michael Forbes). Substitutes not used: Ross Fitzsimmons, Michael Jacobs
Referee: Andrew Madley