Bradford FA cup game.

[FezNTFC]

I should probably add that there were a lot of positives to come out of tonight bearing in mind the age of most of our players and the character shown to come back from the dead. Painful though it will be they will learn a lot from that. Good to hear that Ivan Toney had such a good impact as well.

This doesn't make me any less annoyed though

[guest49]

Well done boys. Brilliant effort.
Congrats to Ivan Toney on making a bit of Cobblers history.

We can blame the injuries all we want but this make shift team has some guts about it. No shame in losing on pens.

[JollyCobbler]

That was my initial thought as well. I'd rather we'd have lost to the Wells penalty in the 90th minute to be honest.

How stupid really though that we had an extra man and literally had to head one ball away and we'd have been through.

Fair play to Bradford though, they're a good team and they'll be in the Play-Offs at least in my opinion.

Can't bloody believe this. I flicked the car radio on just as bbc numpty were stating that we were through as was less than a minute left, and Langers had just launched the ball over the stand. Log on here and... crap! Sounds like we'd done all the hard work

[JollyCobbler]

Well done boys. Brilliant effort.
Congrats to Ivan Toney on making a bit of Cobblers history.

We can blame the injuries all we want but this make shift team has some guts about it. No shame in losing on pens.

I doubt AB will have been quite so forgiving. Sounds like we switched off defensively and paid the price for it.

[Bingers]

Bingers junior might fit in better!

In years to come ........

[DrillingCobbler]

bad news financially...cost us 50 odd grand that late equaliser. That said, we got one as well to take it to extra time. Gutted from that point of view but frankly from a 'squad' point of view that spare Saturday (Please NTFC do not arrange a game that weekend!!) could help us big time in the long run.

We now have 2 home league games to get through, followed by Oxford...in the next 11 days. Hopefully Bayo will have recovered sufficiently by Saturday, ditto Hackett. No doubt they are our two biggest players from an offensive point of view. 4,5 or 6 points would be a decent return under the circumstances.

I have never known a run of injuries/suspensions/illness etc like this one...a truly great effort tonight from the boys and they must not get down about it. Bring on Wycombe this Saturday!

[Bingers]

Well, to put my Yorkshire hat on a moment, I'm getting my money's worth on goals at the moment, 4 on Saturday for £17, 3 tonight for £15.

Really impressed with the young midfield tonight.  Lewis Hornby is so composed on the ball and he gets everywhere, always getting back to cover.  He also had the bollocks to step up and score his penalty when the pressure was on.  Lewis Wilson did some excellent running and had some good chances a lot closer to the target than on Saturday, put some good crosses in too.  Emyr Huws was another one calm and composed on the ball, turning tightly to create himself space.  His quality showed tonight and had an excellent run late on.

Ishy was good, showed some creativity with some nice touches and got really involved.  He definately created his penalty.  Platt held the ball up well and even had a bit of a run, good to see him score and what a time to do it.

Joe Widdowson was cleaning up everything that came down his side very intelligently and had a superb game in my opinion.  He also had some darting runs creating chances.

Final word for Ivan the Young who looked a little bit lost for the first minute or two, but then really came into his own, not afraid the run at the defence with some lovely touches of skill.  His run to set up Langers was excellent - it deserved the goal and Bayo quite rightly showed him off to the massed ranks of Cobblers supporters.

To the penalties - Wazza immediately identified that it would be 1 - 0 with Wells taking the first one, well, he don't know s hit, well saved Higgsy.  Nice to see Platt score easily.  East had his saved in a very similar manner to the Wells effort.  Auntie then correctly identified that Langers would send his over the bar.  Hornby's effort was very self assured - top player, great future.

A really good night's entertainment with end to end stuff, truely The Magic of the Cup.  I was able to have my dinner before going out, park much nearer than usual and it only took me 13 minutes to get home.  Roll on April 6th for the next installment.

[cobblersbob]

Well written Bingers - you are the poor man's Motty, and even had a pint waiting for me when I arrived at VP.
120 minutes of decent footy and a shoot out (watched from under my seat) all for a tenner.
Good luck to the Bantams in next round and against Arsenal.

[bigcitylights]

Great to see another youngster given a game in Ivan Toney. I believe from what Jefferson Lake mentioned, he was born on 15 February 1996 and he's another Northampton-born lad too.

[ntfclad]

He went to Weston Favell school too, so he'll be used to the 'physical' side of the game.

[idlebantam]

Well boys and girls, if its any consolation, I have to say that you were the best team to visit Valley Parade this season, and I include Cheltenham and Port Vale. Very impressed with Widdowson, even though he was up against our young sub Baker, who had to come on early after Hines damaged ankle ligaments. He seemed to not also keep the youngster mainly in check, but also seemed to help your centre backs out lots too.

I thought you dominated the second half of normal time with some good football played at times. I thought we had shaded the first half. We looked dead on our feet in injury time and I could see only one winner. Our equaliser seemed to happen in slow motion, and was surprised that your keeper didnt manage to keep it out, a hopeful header from our young centre half McHugh just seemed to drift over him in slow motion.

Good luck for the rest of the season. If you can get your injured players back sooner rather than later, and strengthen at the back, I can see you challenging for the play-offs, no problem.

As for Cobblers Bob and Bingers, I was hoping i might have the chance to meet up with you beforehand, but because of work, and swapping shifts to be there, it was a bit of a rush for me to get there.

[Bingers]

As for Cobblers Bob and Bingers, I was hoping i might have the chance to meet up with you beforehand, but because of work, and swapping shifts to be there, it was a bit of a rush for me to get there.

Oh well, as April 6th is my birthday, how about you treat me to a pint in The Symposium before our next encounter.

[idlebantam]

Oh well, as April 6th is my birthday, how about you treat me to a pint in The Symposium before our next encounter.

Right, you're on. Already told Cobblers Bob will meet up before the league match..just didnt have the time last night

[clarkeysntfc]

Agree with all the positive comments on here.

The other thing I'd say is that a 10 day break after the Oxford game may not be such a bad thing if the squad are struggling with knocks etc.

[Saint Cobbler]

Just one point, why do managers keep the main penalty taker back (Bayo!), so that in the end they don't even get a go, cos less able players (like defenders) have already lost the game?

[The 12th Marquis of Sixfields]

You have your best takers in the pressure spots of first and last.

[Luton Cobbler]

Disagree - the pressure pens are usually 1st & 4th. Not many shoot outs actually require the 5th taker

[The 12th Marquis of Sixfields]

What do you mean you diasgree? That's why they do it! After, I should imagine, consultations with psychologists and the like

[Deepcut Cobbler]

I would have my best five penalty takers in the first five....

[wazzacobbler]

I agree with many of what Bingers said about the game earlier.

Having got there late I missed the first 15 minutes but judging by the crowd noise and scoreline I had missed very little.

Bradford, to me, had the upper hand for the majority of the game. They held possession like a home team should and I didn't feel that we were confident enough on the counter attack. The only bright spark of the first 45 was Ishmel's two runs at the Bradford defence. The first he should have scored from and the second brought about the penalty. It was great work from him and I was instantly impressed by him. He struck his penalty away with confidence and the way he took it reminded me of Shaun Harrad's penalty taking expolits.

We came into it much more as the game went on in the second period and it looked like it would remain 1-1 and go to extra time. The penalty decision was incredibly harsh. Especially considering we had a claim for a penalty for exactly the same offence only minutes prior.

Clive Platt impressed me as well. He seems a different player now he is injury free. Perhaps not Bayo replacement material but that is more down to his style of target man play being flick it on, rather than hold it up like a juggernaught. He worked really well with Ishmel and helped link the midfield to the forward line really well.

Both East and Widdowson had really good games, as they have the last few times I've seen us play. I have a feeling that if Lee Nicholls hadn't signed on for the rest of the season, Widdowson would run away with the POTS this term.

The youngsters looked fantastic. Hornby looks a class act with a much older head on his shoulders than his age would dictate. It's obvious that Huws is Premier League youth standard as he never showed any tiredness at any point.

Then there is Toney. I know we have seen plenty of players have outstanding debuts only to sink without a trace months later but Toney was excellent. His footwork when setting up Langmead for what we all thought would be the winner was outstanding. I can't believe he is the youngest player we have ever had. I sincerely hope he and Hornby develop into brilliant footballers that will play in the Claret and White for many years to come. Either that or earn us millions of pounds as they work their way up the league ladder.

At the end I was gutted but incredibly proud of our performance. If we keep playing like this we will have a very good season.