After a run of defeats, a draw at Brighton can be seen as a slight step forward for the Cobblers as last night we survived a late surge from the home side to avoid a fifth loss in succession. It could have been better after Ryan Gilligan’s goal on the stroke of half-time but it could also have been so much worse.
In front of a lowly 93 Cobblers fans set back further from the pitch than the seagulls, it was always going to be a scrappy affair between two struggling sides.
Alex Dyer, having kept his place in midfield following a good performance at the weekend, had the first real effort on goal after collecting the ball from an Andy Holt knock down but his shot was saved by Michael Kuipers in the Albion goal.
The home side registered their first attempt of the evening just past the quarter hour mark as Nicky Forster headed into the arms of Ron-Robert Zieler. At the other end, Abdul Osman scrambled the ball towards goal after a Mark Hughes free kick but the ball was cleared at the last by a covering defender.
Zieler was called into action again with ten minutes of the half to play as Dean Cox sent in a good effort that the German keeper did well to push away. Adebayo Akinfenwa then forced Kuipers into a good save but it looked like the half would end goalless until Ryan Gilligan had other ideas. The midfielder collected a knock down and smartly finished past Kuipers to give the Cobblers a half-time lead.
We started the second half as we’d ended the first and Akinfenwa was close to adding a second as he sent in a good effort that Kuipers saved well. After that, the game died down and we couldn’t find that elusive second goal, something that we would live to regret as Albion drew level just before the hour.
Dean Cox swung in a corner and Tommy Elphick was on hand to head the ball home and, frustratingly for Stuart Gray, hand the home side an equaliser.
Five minutes later, both Adebayo Akinfenwa and Adam Virgo, one man from each side, were involved in an off the ball incident and were sent off as tempers began to flare.
Chris Doig was also in trouble after he picked up his fifth booking of the season and he will now serve an unwelcome one game ban.
Albion had the best of the final exchanges as Craig Davies hit the crossbar with a header before the same player broke clear in stoppage time, going one on one with Zieler but shot wide to the relief of the Cobblers fans.
So a point it was and with Swindon below us losing, we remain two points off the bottom four with another crunch game at Cheltenham to come on Saturday. A much needed victory would hand us some real breathing space as the season enters its final knockings.
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