<b>Full time Saturday February 2nd </b> (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Full time Saturday February 2nd

7:46am Monday 4th February 2008 in Football By Dave Wallis

Match report from the County Ground, Swindon

Coca Cola League One

Fulltime Swindon Town 1 Northampton Town 1

Despite a hectic transfer deadline day for the Cobblers, none of Stuart Gray's targets arrived at Sixfields, with the sought after Simon Cox choosing Swindon ahead of the other team with which he had spent time on loan.

But a paperwork technicality denied Cox the chance to make his permanent debut against the Cobblers, and with fellow striker Billy Paynter suspended, Maurice Malpas started with Moses Ahsikodi and Barry Corr up front.

Defender Jerel Ifil had completed his own one match ban, but Craig Easton faced a late fitness test.

Northampton's only absentee was injured captain Chris Doig.

The first chance of the match fell to the visitors when Ryan Gilligan, un-marked on the Northampton right, forced Brezovan to dive smartly to his right to palm his shot away inside two minutes. Three minutes later keeper Mark Bunn could only paw a McNamee corner into the air at the other end, but the ball was cleared from the danger area.

Then, just ten minutes in, Swindon striker Corr fell under an innocuous looking challenge, dislocating his left shoulder to eventually be replaced by Blair Sturrock.

Ashikodi ran the entire Northampton touchline on 16 minutes, muscled a defender off the ball and then proceeded to canter up the goal line. With Sturrock well placed, Ashikodi dallied and the opportunity was wasted for the want of a pass.

Northampton left back Danny Jackman had a chance blocked, and Sturrock was beaten to the ball by Dunn after Ashikodi had headed on. Then Peacock was the next to attempt to play Sturock through, but the Scotsman was unable to turn sharply enough to take advantage.

Half an hour into the game there had been few clear opportunities for either side, but on 36 minutes came perhaps the best chance so far when Jerel Ifil headed a Christian Roberts' set piece just over the bar.

Swindon were becoming the orchestrator of their own problems with a series of blunders in defence, and with three minutes of the half remaining, Jason Crowe played a cross into Northampton danger man Poul Hubertz who headed over Brezovan's bar.

Roberts' ball through to Ashikodi in the last minute of the first period was claimed by Bunn as halftime heralded a goalless scoreline.

Halftime Swindon Town 0 Northampton Town 0

The second period started with the visitors seemingly more ready to change the play, and Hubertz found himself unmarked on the far post after a corner was semi-blocked, but his header across goal was scrambled away. Then a long throw from Andrew Holt was allowed to bounce to a relieved Brezovan while his defence looked on.

Immediately at the other end, Sturrock's run again just failed to beat the onrushing Bunn, McNamee's shot was turned over for a corner, then Jon-Paul McGovern's attempt was charged away. The match was finally sparking into life to warm the frozen supporters.

On 55 minutes, Miguel Comminges took a long throw on the right, arrowed his ball towards the near post where it was met by Blair Sturrock who poked the ball home from two yards to give Swindon the lead.

Northampton full back Jackman had been causing Swindon problems with his set pieces into the box, but the left back appeared on the right hand to guide a ball to Jonathan Hayes, whose shot hit the side netting.

Then on 63 minutes, Brezovan was forced to dive desperately to turn away a cross that once more was allowed to drift unchallenged into the box, then the big keeper got up quickly to block the follow up.

Ashikodi dispossessed Brett Johnson in midfield and charged forward, but was unable to pick out the running Peacock as Swindon relieved some of the pressure by carrying the game to Northampton.

With ten minutes to go Roberts fired over the bar after a Peacock lay-off, and then McGovern tried a long-range free kick, but the game was about to take it's closing twist.

On 85 minutes, Hasney Aljofree headed a Hayes cross over his own crossbar, then with four minutes left, substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa's shot on the turn from 25 yards was turned around the post by Brezovan.

The let-of was short lived. From the left sided corner Akinfenwa rose unchallenged to head home past a stranded Brezovan to level and punish Swindon for some sloppy defending.

Hayes blasted a ball high and wide a minute later as the Cobblers looked to seal a dramatic win, but in the three minutes added, Sturrock contrived to attempt to waste time rather than find the waiting Peacock in the Northampton box.

The point stretched Swindon's unbeaten run to nine matches and left Town tenth in the table, but the overall performance was disappointing.

Fulltime Swindon Town 1 Northampton Town 1

Swindon Town: Peter Brezovan, Miguel Comminges, Jerel Ifil, Hasney Aljofree, Jamie Vincent, Christian Roberts, Jon-Paul McGovern, Lee Peacock, Anthony McNamee, Barry Corr, Moses Ashikodi. Subs: Phil Smith, Sofiene Zaaboub, Andrew Nicholas, Michael Pook, Blair Sturrock.

Northampton Town: Mark Bunn, Mark Little, Mark Hughes, Brett Johnson, Andrew Holt, Jason Crowe, Joe Burnell, Danny Jackman, Jonathan Hayes, Poul Hubertz, Ryan Gilligan. Subs: Adebayo Akinfenwa, Ian Henderson, Chris Dunn, Liam Dolman, Alex Dyer.

Attendance: 7,375

Referee: Steve Bratt