THE Cobblers wrapped up their home pre-season friendly campaign with a hugely encouraging win over a West Ham United side at Sixfields.
Clive Platt, Kelvin Langmead and Alex Nicholls were all on the scoresheet as Town turned in a convincing display and register a win in their final home warm-up game.
Northampton were the better side, with eye-catching performances coming from Platt and new goalkeeper Lee Nicholls, who acquitted himself well on debut.
Lively Irons winger Robert Hall showed some adroit skill and benefited from a lucky break to flip over a cross that Sam Baldock glanced into the side netting.
But it was Town who scored first, Chris Hackett doing superbly well to dribble around his marker and swerve in a knee-high cross that landed at the feet of Platt, who made no mistake.
Debutant keeper Lee Nicholls had acquitted himself well in the first quarter of an hour but was nowhere near an excellent right-footed free-kick from Jack Powell that struck the crossbar from 25 yards.
Platt – who was giving the young visiting defenders a brutal evening – almost turned provider for Hackett, his sidefooted shot placed only into the hands of keeper Jake Larkins.
Larkins, though, was nowhere near a corner that evaded everyone except Kelvin Langmead at the back post, who, almost in shock, put his effort wide of the mark.
Town weren’t making many errors in the game but two in a second cost them the advantage.
A flighted ball in behind got the better of Joe Widdowson, Luke Guttridge failed to complete the clearance, and Sam Baldock finished from 16 yards.
Robert Hall glided inside a couple of challenges but saw his shot blocked and, on the counter-attack, Platt beat Larkins to the ball and eventually teed up Nicholls, who drove wide.
The home side’s advantage was restored when Tozer’s shot was palmed away from a corner and from the resulting set play, Kelvin Langmead capitalised on a defensive mix-up to score from close range.
The Cobblers nearly had a third when Ben Harding skilfully earned himself some space in the box only to fluff his shot tamely towards goal.
It did arrive though when a long ball was flicked on by substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa into the path of Nicholls, who ran from deep, drew the keeper and slotted home.
Nicholls almost added another in the final five minutes of the game with a shot from distance that Larkins tipped over the bar.
Liverpool loanee Henoc Mukendi – technically a trialist at this stage – should have scored too, but completely missed his kick after finding himself in space eight yards out.
COBBLERS (4-4-2): L Nicholls; Johnson, Langmead, Charles, Widdowson; Hackett, Tozer, Harding, Guttridge (Mukendi 81mins); Platt (Akinfenwa 81mins), Nicholls
Subs not used: Demontagnac, Wilson, Robinson, Hornby, Snedker
WEST HAM (4-4-2): Larkins; Chambers (Vose 65mins), Spence, Wearen (Shaw 27mins), Fanimo; Turgott, Lletget, Powell, Hall; Piquionne (McCallum 76mins), Baldock (Tombides 86)
Subs not used: Guzman, Miles, Sadlier
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