Cambridge United cruise through to FA Cup second round with replay win over Northampton Town

Cambridge United cruised through to the second round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 first round replay win over Northampton Town at the Abbey Stadium.

Harvey Knibbs and Sam Smith were on target in the first half, and Ben Worman got the U's third after the break, with Danny Rose pulling one back for Northampton.

Kion Etete had an early curling shot just wide for Northampton in the second minute, and then had the ball in the back of the net after 11 minutes having blocked Dimi Mitov's attempted goal kick, but it was disallowed for a raised boot.

United were ahead two minutes later.

A deep cross from the left by Harrison Dunk was headed back across goal by Joe Ironside, and Knibbs was on hand to turn home from close range.

Northampton were not offering too much going forward, with the U's certainly carrying the greater threat.

George Williams drove a shot into the side netting in the 27th minute from 20 yards, and they had to wait until the 40th minute to double their lead.

A cross from the right by Williams was headed back across goal by Ironside, and though Knibbs' attempted overhead kick failed to come off, the ball arrived at the edge of the box for Adam May whose fierce shot was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Northampton keeper Liam Roberts.

But Northampton failed to clear the subsequent corner properly, and May's delivery into the near post was met by the head of Sam Smith, who was thwarted by another smart stop from Roberts, but the striker reacted quickest to turn home the rebound.

It drew a response from the Cobblers, with Paul Lewis hitting a low drive from 25 yards that Mitov had to dive down low to turn round the post and the keeper had to hold on to a header from the resulting corner.

Dylan Connolly then had a shot wide from the edge of the area as it remained 2-0 to the U's at half time, and it was not long into the second half that they added to their total.

Ironside held up a ball at the edge of the box before neatly laying it into the path of Worman, who finished superbly to make it 3-0.

Knibbs almost added to his tally in the 54th minute.

He was played through into the box by Smith, and unleashed a rasping drive which Roberts dealt with expertly to palm over.

Northampton pulled a goal back out of relatively nothing in the 75th minute.

A good curling cross from the right by Aaron McGowan gave an unmarked Danny Rose a simple opportunity to head past Mitov.

United were stacking up the corners in the second half, reaching double figures, and the best chance they had was a flicked effort from May at the near post that was deflected wide.

The midfielder also had a chance on the counter-attack in the 88th minute, with a deflection taking the shot wide.

It did not matter though as United had booked their place in the second round by that stage, and they will face the winners of the Bradford City versus Exeter City match at the Abbey Stadium on Saturday, December 4.

Cambridge United: Mitov, WIlliams, Okedina, Iredale, Dunk, Digby, May, Knibbs, Worman, Smith, Ironside.

Substitutes: Brophy (Smith, 73), Weir (Worman, 73), Lankester (Knibbs, 88). Subs not used: McKenzie-Lyle, Davies, Masterson, Bennett.

Northampton Town: Roberts, Harriman, Guthrie, Horsfall, Kioki, Connolly, Lewis, McWilliams, Hoskins, Etete, Rose.

Substitutes: McGowan (Harriman, 42), Kabamba (Hoskin,s 67), Pinnock (Connolly, 67). Subs not used: Maxted, Pollock, Flores, Ashley-Seal, Dyche.

Referee: Darren Drysdale.

Attendance: 3,068 (away 691).