Hatters give Cobblers the boot

Published Nov. 13, 2011 12:17 a.m. ET

foxsports

A feisty derby had everything apart from goals in the first-half with two Luton penalty claims turned down and a disallowed goal for the visitors. Luton skipper George Pilkington was guilty of wasting the best chance when he somehow headed wide from six yards. The Hatters' first penalty shout came after 10 minutes when Michael Jacobs left a leg dangling, while 20 minutes later referee Andy D'Urso also turned down a shove on Amari Morgan-Smith. Northampton responded and Adebayo Akinfenwa might have opened the scoring in the 20th minutes but his header was brilliantly saved by Kevin Pilkington, and the Cobblers' on-loan West Brom star Saido Berahino swept home only for the strike to be ruled out for offside. The hosts' John Kissock then somehow headed over from a corner unmarked six-yards out midway through the second half and with 10 minutes to play it was a half-chance taken with aplomb that won the tie for Luton. Watkins reacted to a loose ball and buried a ferocious left footed effort low into the corner from the edge of the box.