Cheltenham Town's season has started with a 4-2 defeat at

Northampton Town.

They took a first half lead though Gabor Gyepes' own goal,

but the Cobblers hit back with a leveller before half-time and

two quick Adebayo Akinfenwa penalties in the second half put

them on course for an opening day victory

Teams

NORTHAMPTON TOWN: M Bunn; M Hughes, G Gyepes, C Doig; J

Crowe, L Guttridge, D Jackman, R. Gilligan, L Davis (A Holt

77); A Akinfenwa (C Larkin 77), L Constantine. Subs not used: I

Henderson, C Dunn, L Dolman.

CHELTENHAM TOWN: S Higgs; J Gill, S Duff, M Townsend, A

Wright; A Lindegaard (M Watkins 82), D Bird, A Russell, C

Armstrong (B Gill 82); P Connor, A Vincent. Subs not used: S P

A Brown, L Ridley, A Gallinagh.

REFEREE: G Horwood.

ATTENDANCE: 4,716 (399 from Cheltenham).

First half key moments:

Cheltenham get the first half underway in their new bright

yellow change kit, shooting away from their visiting fans.

3: Cobblers debutant Luke Guttridge feeds striker Adebayo

Akinfenwa and only a last ditch challenge from Alan Wright

averts the danger.

7: Central defender Shane Duff presses forward and gets on

the end of a long throw from Craig Armstrong, but the ball

drops nicely for Northampton goalkeeper Mark Bunn.

10: Akinfenwa comes off worse from a cash of heads with

Michael Townsend and leaves the field for treatment,

Northampton are temporarily reduced to 10 men.

13: Guttridge’s free-kick from the left is headed towards

goal by Gabor Gyepes, but Shane Higgs gathers comfortably.

15: Jerry Gill’s long ball finds Paul Connor in what looks

like an offside position as Cheltenham are given their first

sight of goal, but his shot flies wide of the near post.

20: Akinfenwa finally re-emerges from the tunnel with his

head heavily bandaged as Northampton’s team is restored to full

strength after 10 minutes with 10 men.

26: Townsend, making his first start since last November,

makes a fine block tackle to deny Danny Jackman, a Guttridge

shot is deflected wide and Higgs falls on another Jackman

effort.

36: GOAL.  Cheltenham take the lead. Russell releases

ex-Cobbler Jerry Gill in space on the right and his low ball

into the box is fired towards goal by David Bird, takes a

deflection of Gyepes and trickles inside Bunn’s near post.

42: GOAL: Northampton equalise through captain Chris Doig,

who steals in and pokes the ball home from close range at the

far post after Jackman's right wing corner is not dealt with by

Cheltenham.

45: Higgs makes a good block to deny Leon Constantine as

Northampton finish the first half very strongly.

Half-time: Northampton Town 1 Cheltenham Town 1

Second half key moments:

53: Russell’s corner flashes across goal and evades

Townsend. Duff links up with Townsend to keep the ball alive

and Andy Lindegaard is crudely brought down by Guttridge, who

is cautioned for his indiscretion.

55: Another Russell corner is headed towards the bottom

right corner by Bird, but Jackman hacks it to safety.

56: Guttridge’s drive is deflected off for a corner by Bird

and Liam Davis beats Russell on the left and fires a shot into

the side netting.

58: Hungarian defender Gyepes is show a yellow card for a

foul on Ashley Vincent, who had beaten him with his pace near

the halfway line.

61: Left wing-back Davis gets past Townsend and breaks

through on goal, but Higgs is off his line quickly to save with

his feet.

63: Jackman is tripped by Bird just inside the penalty area,

it was a wild and unnecessary challenge from the Robins

midfielder.

64: GOAL. Akinfenwa steps up and sends Higgs the wrong way

from the spot, finding the bottom right corner. Northampton 2

Cheltenham 1.

65: Vincent goes down in the box at the other end looking

for a penalty, but his appeals are waved away by the

referee.

67: Gill is penalised for a trip on Guttridge after good

work from Akinfenwa and an altogether more soft penalty is

awarded to the Cobblers.

67: GOAL. Akinfenwa goes for the other corner this time and

although Higgs goes the right way, he can’t reach it and the

Cobblers are 3-1 up after two penalties in three minutes.

Northampton 3 Cheltenham 1.

71: Jackman forces Higgs into a saw low to his left.

73: Russell’s corner is met by Duff, who forces Bunn into a

fine fingertip save. From the resulting corner Duff is pushed

by Gyepes and another penalty is awarded.

74: GOAL. Townsend grabs the ball and on his comeback from

long-term injury, smashes the ball home emphatically from 12

yards to reduce the arrears. Northampton 3 Cheltenham 2.

77: GOAL. Northampton quickly restore their two goal

advantage as Crowe’s ball into the box is controlled by

Akinfenwa, who lays it off all too easily to Constantine and

the former Leeds striker beats Higgs with a low finish into the

bottom right corner. Northampton 4 Cheltenham 2.

81: Gilligan has his name taken by the referee for dissent,

but Northampton have the game sewn up.

82: Downing sends on Ben Gill and second year scholar Marley

Watkins for his debut.

83: Constantine hits the underside of the bar from almost on

the goal line after Crowe’s ball in was flicked back across

goal by substitute Andy Holt as Cheltenham are in disarray at

the back. Colin Larkin puts the ball in the net, but his effort

is ruled out for offside.

86: Russell curls a free-kick from 25 yards wide of the left

upright, but Cheltenham are condemned to their first opening

day defeat since 2003.