Northampton 4-2 Walsall - report: Saddlers bow out of EFL Trophy in round of 16

Albert Adomah headed Walsall into a fifth-minute lead, but saw his early effort cancelled out by Kamarai Swyer's thunderous shot from distance. 

Northampton took the lead through an own goal by Sam Hornby four minutes into the second half and Sam Hoskins doubled their advantage in the 62nd-minute. 

Daniel Kanu halved the deficit for Walsall, who were forced to finish with 10-men when Jake Hollman was stretchered off with Mat Sadler having used all of his substitutions. 

Priestley Farquharson fouled Kyle Edwards in stoppage time and Tom Eaves wrapped up the wins for the Cobblers from the spot.

Walsall were aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since reaching the final under Dean Smith in 2015, but suffered elimination at this stage for the second successive season.

Mat Sadler made 11 changes from the team which started the Saddlers' 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Championship side Norwich City in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Harrison Burke and Mason Hancock started on their comebacks from lengthy spells on the side lines, while new signing Alex Pattison made his first start for the club. 

Walsall made the perfect start when Adomah opened the scoring inside five minutes with his fourth goal of the season in all competitions. 

Jamille Matt flicked on a long throw by Courtney Clarke and Lewis Warrington was first to the looping ball when he cushioned his header towards Adomah. 

The veteran escaped the clutches of his marker and steered a glancing header beyond Northampton goalkeeper Lee Burge at his near post.

Northampton searched for an immediate equaliser but Jack Perkins passed up a presentable chance to do so when he blazed over from the edge of the box. 

The Cobblers remained in the ascendency though and it came as little surprise when Swyer got them back on level terms in the 18th-minute. 

Swyer, who also scored against Walsall in the group stage, was afforded far too much space to collect a pass from the left. He jinked inside unchallenged and unleashed a rocket in off the inside of Hornby's left-hand post from the edge of the box. 

There was little in terms of clear-cut opportunities between the Cobblers' leveller and the half-time interval, but the hosts did carry the greater attacking threat. 

Joe Wormleighton curled a shot over from 20 yards out, and Rico Browne had a difficult evening stopping Swyer, who was proving a tricky customer. 

Just before the break, Clarke cheaply lost possession just past the halfway line and Northampton launched an immediate counter-attack. Michael Jacobs stung the palms of Hornby and the rebound saw Dean Campbell's deflected drive whistle wide of the near post.

Sadler introduced Hollman and Kanu at the start of the second half, but it was Northampton who got their noses in front four minutes after the restart. 

Burke was pickpocketed outside his own penalty area but Hornby quickly emerged to foil Jack Vale. The resulting corner caused a scramble inside the six-yard box before Swyer's finish took a telling deflection off Hornby.

Hornby escaped another nervy moment when his attempted punched clearance was diverted into the net by a Northampton man, only for the referee to disallow the goal for a suspected foul. 

He produced a pair of saves to deny Campbell but was unable to keep out Hoskins' composed finish into the bottom corner just past the hour-mark to make it 3-1. 

Stan Straw misjudged the flight of the ball and Vale snuck in behind to race into the penalty area. Hoskins peeled away to his right and Vale squared it to the Cobblers' captain to slot beyond Hornby.

Hollman went down awkwardly and looked distraught when he was stretchered off the pitch. Walsall had used all of their substitutions at the time and had to finish the evening with 10-men.

Just as the fourth official held up the board for eight minutes of additional time, Farquharson was lured into a clumsy challenge inside the box on Edwards. 

The referee immediately pointed to the spot and substitute Eaves calmly rolled his penalty beyond Hornby, who dived the opposite way.

Next, Walsall travel to Prenton Park to face Tranmere Rovers in the early kick-off on Saturday, which will be their third game in six days.

Teams 

Walsall (3-1-4-2): Hornby; Burke (Farquharson, 64), Straw, Browne; Warrington; Adomah, Pattison (Hollman, 46), Clarke (Jellis, 57) Hancock (Harper, 64); Richards, Matt (Kanu, 46).

Not used: Kilroy, Lakin.

Northampton (3-4-3): Burge; Dyche (Guinness-Walker, 71), Willis, Perkins (McCarthy, 71); Burroughs, Campbell, Swyer (Edwards, 71), Wormleighton; Hoskins, Vale (Eaves, 71) Jacobs.

Not used: Fitzsimons, Guthrie, List.

Other Details 

Referee: Abigail Byrne 

Attendance: 1,406 (217)