Northampton fail to move clear of relegation zone
Northampton Town 0 - 2 Blackpool
Northampton Town missed an opportunity to pull further away from the League One relegation battle after falling to a home defeat against Blackpool.
Stadium - Sixfields Stadium
Goals from Ashley Fletcher, his fifth in eight games, and Niall Ennis secured a deserved win for the visitors, leaving the Cobblers six points clear of the drop zone in 19th place.
Blackpool carried the greater threat throughout the first half, with Sonny Carey spurning an early chance when he found space in the box but could only fire into the side-netting. Their pressure paid off after 20 minutes as Rob Apter beat his man down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross for Fletcher to head home.
Northampton struggled to respond, with Sam Hoskins and Tyler Roberts both failing to trouble the goalkeeper from distance. Genuine chances were few and far between for the hosts, who went into the break on the back foot.
The Cobblers had some brief hope early in the second half, with Aaron McGowan and Timothy Eyoma making goal-line clearances to deny Ennis and Fletcher. But Blackpool’s second always felt inevitable, and it arrived just after the hour mark—Ennis capitalising on a defensive mix-up to race through and finish confidently off the post.
A frustrating afternoon for Northampton, who remain perilously close to the relegation scrap, while Blackpool’s play-off ambitions remain just about alive.
Best reaction
Paul, a Northampton fan, was impressed with the away side's performance. He said: "Blackpool reminded us that there are some really strong teams in this league. Steve Bruce delivered a masterclass on how to play and win away from home. The Cobblers, under Nolan, appeared flat for the first time. While the effort was there, we’ve had some tough matches recently, and this one proved to be a step too far. It's hard to judge, but they looked as good as any team we've faced. Nolan is still doing a great job."
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Jamie is a Blackpool fan who is delighted with the progress of his side despite some inconsistent performances. He added: "We have an outside chance of makeing the play-off. Still think we won't due to a lot of draws. We will start as favourites for promotion next season though."
