Northampton 2

MARTON FULOP and Anthony Stokes combined to spare Sunderland’s blushes as League One Northampton bowed out of the League Cup after a dramatic penalty shoot-out last night.

Fulop kept out Leon Constantine’s kick to see Sunderland through on a night when they were second best for long periods.

Roy Keane’s team looked dead and buried when Colin Larkin, who had given the visitors a 20th-minute lead, crossed for Luke Guttridge to volley home a second nine minutes from time.

But a last-ditch double from substitute Stokes, the second of them in the third minute of injury-time, sent the tie to extra-time and eventually, penalties.

Keane’s rotation policy appeared to backfire and his Premier League team almost came badly undone. Northampton may be floundering in League One but they did manage to win at Bolton in the previous round. Certainly no coach boasting as woeful a managerial cup pedigree as Keane’s could afford to take them lightly.

Despite Keane’s decision to field a fairly strong XI, Sunderland soon started wobbling.

Having survived an early scare when Leon Constantine’s goalbound free-kick was fortuitously deflected to safety, they swiftly fell behind to a Colin Larkin goal.

Deployed wide on the right of a 4-5-1 formation, Larkin raced on to Constantine’s back-header and, having chested the ball down, half-volleyed it right-footed beyond Fulop, having a rare outing in goal.

With Constantine receiving the ball direct from the goalkeeper’s punt it was a real route-one strike but, far from being a kick-and-rush ensemble, Gray’s side sporadically troubled Sunderland with some sharp passing.

Keane’s men looked rather less incisive but, perhaps fearing their manager’s half-time invective, they rallied a little as the interval approached. While Grant Leadbitter shot just wide, David Healy very nearly scored his first goal since signing from Fulham with a glancing header. Reid had belatedly woken up and saw a stinging shot blocked courageously, before the Northampton keeper, Frank Fielding, performed wonders to repel a Dean Whitehead volley.

Despite this improvement, Keane made changes for the second half, hauling Healy off along with the disappointing Carlos Edwards and sending on Michael Chopra and Kieran Richardson. Reid, relocated to central midfield, soon sent Chopra clear with a glorious, curling ball but the impressive Fielding spread himself well.

By now Keane may have started wondering whether giving Djibril Cisse and El Hadji Diouf the night off was a good idea.

The visitors deservedly extended their lead in the 81st minute. Once again Larkin was involved, crossing for Luke Guttridge to volley beyond Fulop.

“Keano, Keano, what’s the score?” chorused the travelling fans, but they endured an anxious finale to normal time after substitute Anthony Stokes stabbed home from close range after Fielding collided with a defender.

Sunderland have a habit of scoring late goals and, deep in injury time, they secured extra-time when Reid’s corner brought Stokes’s second goal, a header.

Guardian Service

SUNDERLAND: Fulop, Bardsley, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Collins, Edwards (Richardson 46), Leadbitter (Stokes 78), Whitehead, Reid, Healy (Chopra 46), Murphy. Subs not used: Colgan, Miller, Yorke, Chimbonda. Booked: Murphy.

NORTHAMPTON: Fielding, Crowe, Little, Hughes, Holt (Jackman 99), Davis, Coke (Gilligan 67), Larkin (Akinfenwa 98), Osman, Guttridge, Constantine. Subs not used: Dunn, Henderson, Dolman, Dyer. Booked: Davis.

Referee: Tony Bates (Staffordshire).