Soccer
Chris Hogg relieved as Northampton snatch first win of season in final minutes
Northampton boss Chris Hogg admitted “relief” was the overriding emotion after his side beat Newport County 1-0 for their first win of the season.
The home side dominated possession in the first half at Sixfields but both sides were unable to create anything in the way of clear-cut chances throughout a poor game.
However, with just three minutes to go, Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh unleashed a sweet strike to earn the Cobblers their first competitive victory since February.
Alexandre Pato, whose consortium’s proposed investment in the club cleared regulatory checks on Friday, was in attendance at Sixfields.
Hogg said: “It’s felt a long time, but it feels really good and the way it happened as well… I think it was always going to be that way.
“It was a good first half in terms of a control point-of-view, and there were one or two moments, but we were a bit too slow and we didn’t play forward and we didn’t play in the areas we wanted to.
“The second half was a bit bitty, but I’m there thinking ‘we’re going to get an opportunity’ and it was about how it fell and who it fell to and Joe shows his quality with a great strike.
“I’m delighted for all the players and the staff and obviously the supporters as well.
“It was never going to be pretty and free-flowing but we limited Newport to very little and then it was just all about getting the result.
“It’s an exciting day for the club. I’m not someone to over-celebrate but if you saw how I celebrated the goal, you can guess how it felt. It’s obviously a relief.”
Newport manager Hayden Mullins rued the error that led to Northampton’s late winner.
Mullins said: “It’s one mistake and we’ve been punished. It’s happening a bit at the moment.
“We were in control of the game, the ball comes to us and it’s a poor turnover in the middle of the park and we’re punished by a good strike from the edge of the box.
“The boys didn’t deserve to lose after everything they put into the game, we definitely had the lion’s share in the second half and we looked comfortable, but we’re punished for switching off.
“We should be alert to the danger and maybe organise better but I didn’t think the boys deserved that today.
“Northampton are a good side and it’s always tough to go away and dominate but you’ve got to be tough to beat and I thought we were that for long periods of the game.
“It was some strike by their lad but we switched off and that one moment has allowed them to win the game.”
