SAINTS' HELL AS CURLE'S BOYS SHINE

DELIGHTED Northampton manager Keith Curle saluted his troops after they turned in a five-star show against Southampton U21s in the EFL Trophy group stages in midweek.

- John Lyons

Benny Ashley-Seal led the way with a double against the young Saints at a rain-soaked PTS Academy Stadium, while Joseph Mills, Mark Marshall and Caleb Chukwuemeka also got in on the act in the 5-0 thrashing.

It’s put the Cobblers back in with a chance of qualifying from Southern Group C.

Boss Curle was particularly impressed with the displays of young strikers Ashley-Seal, 21, and Chukwuemeka, 18.

“Centre forwards like to score goals and I thought both Benny and Caleb looked bright,” he said. “I left Caleb with the academy at the start of the season because I wanted to see that hunger from him to get into the first team.

Excellent

“The conditions were very difficult but it was excellent to get game time for some of those players coming back from injury.

“They acquitted themselves well and made it a decent spectacle.”

In the other game in the group, MK Dons won 3-2 at Stevenage to book their place in the knockout stages.