Northampton put up a good display

A strong Middlesborough team, including some youngsters dominated Town for the first 15 minutes. But after that Cobblers found their feet and gave the Premier team a game. Ian Henderson hit the post and 17-year-old Alex Dyer, given his first team debut, beat 2 men in the penalty area and watched his shot hit the body of the keeper.

Boro` keeper Brad Jones didn`t have a very solid game and the Cobblers really should have capitalised on his inexperience. Meanwhile Mark Bunn at the other end made several excellent stops.

Middlesborough scored on 53 minutes with a powerful free kick from Fabio Fochembach, the Brazilian demonstrating how to do it; Jones had taken a kick several minutes before for the Cobblers and blasted it well wide.

Boro`s second came on 66 minutes Dong Gook Lee scoring from the edge of the area.

The 2-0 score line was flattering to Middlesborough and the Cobbler`s had the opportunity to beat them, but again poor finishing let them down. Let`s hope Gray can pull a goal scorer out of the hat by transfer deadline at midnight on Friday.