Woeful Cobblers suffer FA Cup embarrassment as they crash out to Oxford City

Three divisions and over 60 places separate the teams in the football pyramid but Town's supposedly superior quality was never apparent during a torrid evening, with the final 2-1 scoreline flattering the League One side.

Oxford were excellent and will rightly celebrate a famous night in their own history after a dominant display, but for Cobblers the inquest will be long and painful.

Keith Curle's decision to make wholesale changes backfired and his side's performance was inexcusably poor, individually and tactically, almost as if they just expected to turn up and stroll through to round two.

As it is, it will be Oxford City who head to Shrewsbury Town in the next round of the competition thanks to goals from James Roberts and Josh Ashby.

The home side finished with 20 shots to Northampton's 11, a reflection of the game and the away side's shocking display.

Curle took a gamble with his team selection by ringing the changes as Morgan Roberts and Caleb Chukwuemeka both started and Sam Hoskins donned the armband for a young Cobblers side.

Youth team goalkeeper Dylan Berry also made the bench with Steve Arnold out injured.

It was obvious from the opening moments that Town would be in for a tough night as Oxford began strongly with Ashby's free-kick hitting the wall before Harvey Bradbury's effort was neither a shot nor a cross and flashed wide.

Town were in need of a settler and they got it with their first real attack on seven minutes.

Mark Marshall easily beat his man on the right and pulled the ball back for Hoskins whose first-time shot seemed to go through Ben Dudzinski.

But any thought that this would be an easy evening were extinguished by an impressive response by the hosts.

Roberts grazed the post with a long-range effort but he didn't miss moments later, showing too much strength and power for Town's defence to head in Louis Hall's hanging cross

Oxford were a yard quicker all of the back, pressing high and snapping into challenges, while the Cobblers were slack and lacklustre and constantly looked suspect at the back.

The visitors also struggled to muster much in attack but for all the world they appeared to have resorted their lead on the half-hour mark, only for Aaron Drewe to pull out a stunning goal-line clearance to deny Marshall's low volley.

Then it was Oxford's turn to be thwarted at the last when Roberts turned past Fraser Horsfall and was only kept at bay by Mitchell.

The Town goalkeeper was called upon again at the resulting corner, clawing away Joe Oastler's header.

Hoskins made a terrific last-ditch intervention to again prevent Oxford taking a lead into half-time after the hosts again ran rings around the back three, and there was no doubting Town required a huge improvement after the break.

They didn't get the memo, though, and were once again indebted to their goalkeeper for not falling behind seven minutes into the second-half as he brilliantly kept out Roberts' spot-kick after a brainless challenge by Joe Martin.

Hoskins dragged one just wide from the edge of the box but the Cobblers just could not get going, even after the introductions of Harry Smith and Danny Rose.

The visitors were found wanting time and again at the back and another hopeless bit of defending saw Oxford deservedly take the lead.

Horsfall was the culprit this time, misjudging the bounce of the ball and dragging down Elliot Benyon. It was perhaps outside the box but Town couldn't have any complaints about being behind after Ashby tucked away the spot-kick.

Oxford didn't let up there and had chances to extend their lead, volleying one chance wide and blazing another over.

Curle sent on Ricky Holmes in an attempt to salvage the situation but it was to no avail as his side continued to be outplayed and outfought by Oxford.

Their only chance of note came five minutes from time and it was a hopeful effort by Hoskins that Dudzinski comfortably held.

Three uneventful minutes of stoppage-time passed and the final whistle brought scenes of joy for Oxford, but for Cobblers here is where the post-match mortem begins.

MATCH FACTS

Oxford: Dudzinski, Drewe, Hall, Ashby, Oastler (c), Roberts, Fleet, McEachran (Martinez 75), Bradbury (Benyon 66), Coyle (Owusu 86), Fernandez

Subs not used: Bancroft, Grantham, Naylor, George

Cobblers: Mitchell, Racic, Horsfall, Martin, Missilou, Marshall (Rose 64), Roberts (Holmes 72), Hoskins (c), Korboa, Ashley-Seal, Chukwuemeka (Smith 64)

Subs not used: Berry, Harriman, Adams, Watson

Referee: Paul Howard