Billy Clarke could not have introduced himself to the Cobblers fans in a better way than he did in yesterday’s hammering of Crewe Alexandra at Sixfields. Clarke signed on loan from Ipswich Town this week and wasted no time in getting in the Town fans’ good books by striking a hat-trick on his debut to become the first Cobblers debutant since 1961 to achieve such a fate on his debut.
Fellow loan signing Paul Rodgers also started the game in defence whilst Liam Davis and Danny Jackman returned to the starting line-up. But it was Clarke who stole this particular show and he was off the mark as early as the second minute to put himself firmly in the record books with the quickest debut goal in Cobblers history. Clarke went through one on one with the Crewe keeper Stuart Tomlinson and although his initial shot was blocked he made no mistake with the rebound after a defender cleared straight into his path.
The visitors’ cause didn’t get any easier when Julien Baudet was sent off for bringing down Giles Coke when the midfielder was clean through on goal and that was just the start of Crewe’s demise. From the resulting free kick, Danny Jackman curled the ball home to give us a two goal cushion to go alongside the man advantage.
The visitors were back into the game for a decent period though as out of nowhere a cross came in and Colin Daniel made Sixfields a very nervous place by beating Chris Dunn to the ball to make it 2-1. The action didn’t stop and Adebayo Akinfenwa hit the bar with just under ten minutes of the half to go as his header crashed against the woodwork.
The start of the second half saw the Cobblers regain control and make the extra man count in devastating fashion. After Coke had shot over, Akinfenwa was in the right place to head the ball back to Clarke who nodded home his second of the game to give us some breathing space.
It was 4-1 in quick time after the third goal as Stuart Gray’s men stormed into a three goal advantage. Liam Davis picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fired home past Tomlinson to wrap up a game that still had half an hour to play.
It was now a matter of how many for the Cobblers and Clarke made it a dream debut when he converted a spot kick after Crewe goal scorer Colin Daniel fouled him in the area. Clarke had to wrestle the ball away from usual penalty taker Akinfenwa but he managed to persuade the big man to let him round off his hat-trick and sent the keeper the wrong way to finish off a comfortable win for the Cobblers.
We now prepare for Colchester United away on Tuesday night full of new confidence with a strike force in place, for a month at least, that can take us away from any relegation fears.
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