Northampton Town 1 Stevenage 1 - League Two match report

The sides had came into the 1-1 draw at Sixfields second and third in the League Two table and the hosts got off to a flyer with a fifth-minute goal from Louis Appere.

But after a lacklustre half from the visitors, two double substitutions sparked a massive turnaround for the visitors.

The first, at half-time, put them on the front foot for the whole of the second period while the second brought the equaliser, Reid scoring from 25 yards two minutes after coming on.

Northampton were happy at the end to have a point but Stevenage's performance after the break was simply sensational and deserved all three.

There were three changes from the defeat to Salford City.

Luther James-Wildin and Terence Vancooten came in, as did Dean Campbell, with Kane Smith, Jake Taylor and Jamie Reid the men to be replaced.

Smith was not even on the bench after picking up a knock in training on Friday.

Staying in the contest for as long as possible was plan A for Stevenage. Conceding after five minutes therefore was not in the script.

The home side had started well and Jon McCracken had already been called on to fist away a couple of balls into the box.

When he tried to do it a third time though, he failed to get any purchase on it and as it came down, bouncing off the back of Carl Piergianni and being poked into the side of the net from six yards by Appere.

McCracken's start was then compounded by a yellow card as he caught the scorer who had pounced on indecision from Vancooten and the keeper.

Campbell also went in the book early as he stopped a quick break and Boro looked like a side who needed a bit of divine intervention, or at least a helping hand.

Steve Evans spent most of the first half on his feet with complaints towards the referee.

There was also plenty of shouts towards his own players though who weren't showing any cohesion in their play.

They were having a lot of the ball but it never felt like they would penetrate the home defence, with Lee Burge a relative spectator in the Northampton goal.

Passes were often misplaced or tackles lost far too cheaply. Certainly sustained possession was absent.

The one chance they did manage to create came from a Max Clark corner, but Dan Sweeney glanced his header across the face of goal and wide.

There was also a shout for a penalty as Alex Gilbey wriggled along the byline and into the area but if there was contact, it was minimal and it looked like he would have been better served by picking out a colleague in the middle.

Substitutions were expected at the break and Boro took two of the three, Danny Rose and Jake Forster-Caskey coming on.

They had a massive impact and suddenly Stevenage were a different proposition.

They came forward in numbers and began peppering the box with crosses, to the point that Northampton had to resort to every trick in the book.

But the pressure kept coming and coming to the point where it seemed as if if would be one of those days.

Piergianni shouted for a penalty after a suggested push, something away from the norm for the skipper, Norris glanced a Forster-Caskey free-kick straight at the keeper and then Max Clark thundered a volley towards goal, Burge making a fine finger-tip save.

Rose then almost capped his return to Sixfields with a goal, but the header came back off the bar.

However, another double sub proved the catalyst for the breakthrough.

Michael Bostwick replacing Vancooten was perhaps expected in the defender's first game back since January.

Reid's introduction though was purely to grab a goal and he took just two minutes to oblige.

And it was some hit from 25 yards and left of the target. It flew past Burge, struck the keeper's right-hand post and then the left one before spinning over the line.

From then on in Northampton were happy to hang on and by the skin of their teeth, they did.

Boro can build on this and with only Orient winning in the top six, this could be another vital point.

Stevenage: McCracken, James-Wildin, Clark, Reeves (Rose 46), Piergianni, Sweeney, Norris (Jamie Reid 70), Campbell (Forster-Caskey 46), Roberts (Taylor 90+8), Vancooten (Bostwick 70), Gilbey.

Subs (not used): Przybek, Horgan.

Goals: Jamie Reid 72

Booked: McCracken 12, Campbell 19, Rose 86

Northampton Town: Burge, McGowan, Sowerby (Hondermarck 46), Gutherie, Hoskins (Odimayo 58), Appere, Pinnock, Leonard, Bowie (Yengi 77), Lintott, Hughes.

Subs (not used): Norman, Wright-Phillips, Osew, King.

Goals: Appere 5

Booked: Guthrie 60, Pinnock 75, Hondermarck 83

HT: Northampton Town 1 Stevenage 0

Referee: Simon Mather

Attendance: 7,759 (including 956 from Stevenage)