Two first half goals from Kion Etete and Sam Hoskins before a second half Fraser Horsfall header defeat Stevenage at Sixfields Stadium...
Alex Revell named four changes to the side that lost at Boundary Park on Saturday, with Luke Prosser, Max Melbourne, Jake Taylor and Luke Norris replacing Scott Cuthbert, Bruno Andrade, Jack Smith and Jamie Reid. The skipper missed out through injury.
The first sight at goal for Stevenage came fifteen minutes in. Ben Coker, playing in a more advanced position that normal, floated in a beautiful ball into the Northampton Town box, but Norris couldn’t connect with it properly and the ball was cleared by the Northampton Town defence.
Stevenage certainly had something to prove from the disappointing game at the weekend. However, the problems didn’t stop there and on the half hour mark a long throw from the Cobblers found Mitch Pinnock midway inside the hosts' half. Pinnock played a through ball to Kion Etete who drove past Terence Vancooten and smashed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner. Stevenage were behind after more than matching the hosts for the first third of the game.
Ten minutes later, Luther James-Wildin slipped on the right side and Pinnnock again took advantage and drove the ball to the edge of the box, before unleashing a powerful shot that Joseph Anang parried into the path of Sam Hoskins, who tapped home into an open goal.
It was a mountain to climb for Stevenage in the second half as they came back out in the rain at the Sixfields Stadium.
After the break, Pinnock was again causing problems for Stevenage as he found himself on the edge of the box and unleased another powerful strike that was deflected for a corner.
The resulting corner was swung in by Pinnock to the back post and found Northampton Town captain Fraser Horsfall to head into the goal past Anang.
Halfway through the half, second half substitute Bruno Andrade tried to produce something for the Boro fans to cheer about. However, after wriggling past one of the Northampton Town defenders his shot fired straight into the arms of the Cobblers goalkeeper Liam Roberts.
The referee blew his whistle for full-time in an evening to forget for Alex Revell’s men. Attention now turns to Saturday for a return to The Lamex against Leyton Orient.
Attendance 4,123 inc. 204 away.
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Match tickets for Stevenage vs Leyton Orient are now available from www.borotickets.co.uk.
