Northampton Town 1, Crawley Town 1: Pereira gets dominant Reds a point at 10-men Cobblers
A dominant Crawley Town came away from Sixfields with a point after a 1-1 draw with Northampton Town.
Nathan Okopu put the hosts ahead on 38 minutes, but super sub Dion Pereira equalising on 67 minutes, after the Cobblers went down to 10 men.
Crawley made two changes from Saturday’s defeat to Bristol Rovers, with both Dylan Morgan and Jackson Izquierdo getting their first league starts for the Reds, replacing Jonny Russell and Nicolas Michalski, who both drop to the bench. Dion Pereira also replaced Lewis Richards on the bench, for his first appearance since the start of the preseason.
Northampton had the best of the opening exchanges, with a shot over the bar from Joe O’Brien Whitmarsh inside two minutes. The Reds then started to get into the game, with Osman Kamara getting a lot of joy down the right wing. Crawley’s best chance came on 17 minutes, when Louie Watson crossed the ball into a dangerous area to Aderoju, but Zach Jeacock managed to get a touch on the cross to take it out of Aderoju’s reach.
Dylan Morgan, starting for the first time in the EFL after his signing from Torquay last week, fired a shot that just curled wide of the post and Jeacock at full stretch. However, it was the Cobblers who took the lead on 37 minutes, when a quick throw-in was played back to Lee Evans, and Evans’ cross was flicked on by O’Brien Whitmarsh to Nathan Okopu to stab home from five yards. There was still time for Kamara to test Jeacock who had to be at full stretch on the ground to keep out Kamara’s shot.
Crawley had an early chance in the second half, as Jude Arthurs crossed along the six-yard line, but again Aderoju jut couldn’t get a toe to it. However, the game swang back into Crawley’s favour, when Lee Evans fouled Dylan Morgan, and referee Alan Dale deemed it dangerous enough to show his red card.
Crawley pressed on, and Adeyemo fired a shot wide after cutting in from the left. Changes from Colin Kazim-Richards saw Dion Pereira and Danilo Orsi come on, and it only took three minutes for those changes to bring the Reds level. Kamara crossed the ball into the box, on to Pereira’s swinging left foot, and his initial shot was well saved by Jeacock, but it came back out for the super sub to poke home and the equaliser.
Despite the advantage, and a lot of huffing and puffing, Crawley could not find a winner. Klaudio Krasniqi hit the post from just outside the area, Pereira again forced the Cobblers man of the match Jeacock into action again, and Jeacock made the save of the night, as Louie Watson’s shot was palmed over the bar from close range.
Crawley did have the ball in the back of the net late on, but Orsi was deemed to be offside, so the game ended honours even, and Crawley will be disappointed with just a point. The Reds are now up to 17th in the table and travel to Accrington Stanley on Saturday.