Northampton beaten by Brighton in EFL Trophy season opener

Northampton Town were beaten 3-0 by the Brighton junior team in their opening game of the EFL Trophy.

Strikes from Charlie Tasker, Kamari Doyle and Mark O’Mahony won the game for the visitors, with the Cobblers suffering a defeat in their opening match of the competition.

Chris Hogg had opted for rotation, making 8 changes from the team who began Northampton’s season opener against Swindon Town.

Northampton had started brightly, with Sam Hoskins seeing an early strike saved, but they would fall behind when an unmarked Tasker headed in from a cross to give the Brighton juniors an 8th minute lead.

The visitors made it 2-0 after 15 minutes when Doyle swept a fine strike beyond the reach of Cobblers keeper Ross Fitzsimons.

A third was scored less than ten minutes after the half-time break, as Brighton were awarded a penalty for a foul by Jack Perkins on Josh Robertson and O’Mahony scored from the spot.

Northampton did have a flurry of chances after falling 3-0 down, with Hoskins denied again by Brighton keeper Steven Hall, Elliott List hitting the side netting and Harvey Saunders striking the crossbar. But it ultimately wouldn’t be enough as the Cobblers slide to defeat.

The Cobblers will now turn their attention to getting a first competitive win of the season back in the league, when they take on Crewe away from home on Saturday. Northampton’s second EFL Trophy tie takes place in October, when they visit Cambridge United, with a home game against Gillingham in mid-November concluding their group stage matches in the competition.