The Hatters youth team lost their second consecutive match
The Hatters youth team fell to a second consecutive defeat on Saturday as they were heavily beaten by Northampton Town.
The cobblers ran out 5-1 winners against Paul Driver’s side after last week’s 1-0 loss to Peterborough, although the score from the weekend’s match doesn’t reflect fairly the balance of play.
Town fell behind after two minutes, after Tiernan Parker was forced into a good save, but he could only palm the shot into the path of an onrushing Northampton striker who fired home.
George Murray looked as if he was going to level the scoring shortly after, but he couldn’t get a shot away as he was crowded out.
Freddie Hinds then had a great opportunity to score as he was put through, but he sent his effort wide, just before Kavan Cotter hit the post.
The Hatters were punished harshly as they fell two behind just before the twenty-minute mark, when a pullback to the edge of the Town box was fired home.
Driver’s side took control of possession after that, but weren’t able to create any real goal scoring opportunities.
Northampton made it three just before the break after a long ball forward caught out the young Hatters backline, leaving the Cobblers striker with a one-on-one, which he scored.
With the second half underway, Town took control of possession, but were punished once again when a Northampton player was left unmarked at the back post from a cross, and he converted to make it 4-0 to the hosts.
George Murray prodded home with ten minutes left of play, but the rout was completed when a shot deflected off Jack James and beat Tiernan Parker.
Paul Driver said on his side’s defeat: “First and foremost I was pleased what we actually did with the ball, without it though not so good.
“At the moment defensively we seem to be conceding goals every time there is an attack, but the five players who played in the back four throughout the game are four first years. Under-16s keeper Tiernan Parker only turned 15 in August. So it is a very young backline in an under-18s league.
“We are working with those players the same way we did with Akin Famewo, James Justin, Frankie Musonda and Cameron McJannet and look where they are now.”
Town line-up: Parker, Sorunke (Panter 60), James, Bakinson (Belgrove 76), Mead, Jones, Cotter, Murray, Hinds (Craig 74), Snelus, Read (Shamalo 76).