Hoskins and Brough on target as impressive Cobblers end poor run with excellent Exeter win

Cobblers ended their poor run of form with an impressive and fully merited 2-0 victory away at high-flying Exeter City on Saturday.

Sam Hoskins’ well-taken opener, his fourth goal of the season, separated the sides at half-time before Patrick Brough’s late tap-in put the icing on the cake on a superb – and textbook – away performance at St James Park.

There was little in a tight and even first half but the same could not be said about the second 45 minutes. For all Exeter’s possession, they created barely anything in front of goal while Town threatened time and again on the counter-attack.

You feared they would be made to pay after missing several chances to kill Exeter off but Brough’s goal in stoppage-time confirmed victory and put an end to their run of three straight defeats, lifting them up to 17th in League One in the process.

Louis Appéré replaced Tyreece Simpson in the only change from last weekend’s defeat to Barnsley and the early skirmishes in Devon where relatively even before Cobblers created the first clear chance on 16 minutes when Zil Sinisalo blocked smartly from Sam Hoskins, who had met Mitch Pinnock’s in-swinging cross.

But Exeter made the mistake of presenting Hoskins with another opportunity four minutes later and this time they paid the price. It was a lovely way to open the scoring as McWilliams sent Hoskins through on goal with a superb pass and Town’s main man calmly slotted under the outrushing Sinisalo for his fourth of the season.

Exeter came close to levelling close to the half-hour mark when Sonny Cox shot narrowly over after the ball ricocheted to him inside the penalty box, and that was followed by Yanic Wildschut’s lot effort being held by Lee Burge.

The home side built pressure but Cobblers, and Sam Sherring in particular, defended well and they were able to get through to half-time with their slender lead intact.

Exeter continued to find good positions in the second half but they were kept at bay by a combination of poor decision-making on their part and some good defending from Town.

The visitors increasingly threatened on the break and they had two chances in quick succession around the hour mark, both falling to Hoskins but he couldn’t beat Sinisalo with either effort, the first a header and the second a shot from a tight angle.

But Town really should have doubled their advantage not long later when they effectively had a three-on-one opportunity, however Alex Hartridge’s excellent sliding challenge denied McWilliams, while moments later Sanisalo saved with his feet from Appéré.

Sanisalo also held Bowie’s powerfully struck shot 15 minutes from time and there was a sense that Cobblers might be punished for failing to put the game to bed.

The tension grew as time ticked away but finally, as the clocked ticked past 90 minutes, Town took one of their counter-attacking chances and put the game to bed. It all started with some good defending in their own penalty box before the ball was cleared to Simpson, he drove 50 yards up field, found Bowie on the right and he was unselfish in squaring for Brough to tap home.

That delighted the away supporters St James Park and they were able to breathe easy and enjoy the final few minutes of stoppage-time before celebrating an excellent and deserved victory.

Exeter: Sinsalo, Jules, Aimson ©, Sweeney (Fitzwater 72), Hartridge, Carroll, Cole, Wildschut (Scott 56), Cox (Aitchison 72), Taylor, Harper (Kite 66)

Subs not used: Woods, Borges, Richards

Cobblers: Burge, Odimayo (Lintott 90), Sherring, Guthrie (c), Brough, Leonard, McWilliams (Fox 90), Pinnock, Hoskins (Simpson 79), Bowie, Appéré (Monthé 79)

Subs not used: Thompson, McGowan, Haynes

Referee: Neil Hair

Attendance: 6,541

Cobblers fans: 365