Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Cheltenham Town 0 Northampton Town 1

My piece from the Monday paper

Luke Guttridge sealed Northampton's place in the play-off final - three years after the club got rid of him.

Former manager Ian Sampson released Guttridge, but the feisty midfielder was brought back by current boss Aidy Boothroyd and repaid his faith with some style in the 28th minute.

Striker Ade Akinfenwa flicked on Lee Collins throw-in and Guttridge volleyed home his second of the season past helpless keeper Scott Brown from 25 yards to add to Ray O'Donovan's first leg winner.

Boothroyd was delighted to get through to a final against home town club Bradford and said: "It's going to be a strange one for me and the family won't be getting any free tickets. We were resolute and played the game and not the occasion. We've done reasonably well to be where we are and we've now got to go and finish the job off against another good team."

Northampton stopper Lee Nicholls shut out last season's beaten finalists from the spot in the fifteenth minute. Ben Tozer up-ended fellow midfielder Russell Penn as he darted into the box, but Wigan loanee Nicholls did superbly to get down and push Marlon Pack's poor penalty kick away.

And Nicholls produce two point blank saves from substitutes Kaid Mohamed and Shaun Harrad as the Robins became increasingly desperate.

Disappointed Cheltenham boss Mark Yates refused to single out Pack's penalty miss and said: "I'm not criticising anyone. We win as a team and we lose as a team. The players have done the town proud and have to pick themselves up and go for a good night out. It's an achievement to get to the play-offs in successive seasons, but it's no consolation at the moment."

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