Peterborough United took the derby honours, but they made hard work of beating a team reduced to 10 men after 10 minutes
Peterborough United made hard work of beating Northampton Town 2-1 at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday, but few will care about that now.
Posh were in complete control of the contest when Harry Leonard scored his second goal against the 10-man Cobblers early in the second-half, but a shocking defensive blunder allowed the visitors back into the game making the last quarter a tortuous affair.
Posh kept creating and missing chances at one end while enduring some hairy moments at the other. It was a masterclass in how not to kill off wounded opposition, one reduced in numbers by a 10th minute high kick.
But the win was deserved and that shouldn’t be forgotten. Some of the Posh play was exceptional. They played a decent tempo and created chances galore. They should have scored six and it wouldn’t have flattered them and the narrow success was enough to get them out of the bottom four for the first time this season.
Posh made one change to their starting line-up with Kiwi international Matt Garbett replacing winger Declan Frith from the team that won 2-1 at Reading as revenge for last season’s 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Cobblers was sought.
The visitors made five changes to a team that drew with Huddersfield Town at Sixfields in midweek. They picked a team with plenty of speed and mobility as they looked to exploit potential weaknesses against a press.
And the visitors started well until Jack Perkins made his ill-judged intervention in the direction of Peter Kioso’s face, although Lisbie’s ability to breeze past his marker offered Posh hope from the start.
It took Posh until the first minute of added time to take advantage of their man advantage and their superior class on the ball as Leonard finished expertly following a fine pass from Archie Collins.
That was one of a staggering 21 first-half shots on goal from Posh with far too many of them hit straight at visiting ‘keeper Ross Fitzsimmons who also made one fine close range save from Lisbie. Posh played at a decent tempo and created regular opportunities with their impressive movement with Collins, Leonard and Kioso all guilty of finding Fitzsimmons rather than the back of the net.
Cobblers threatened only occasionally usually through Manchester United loanee Ethan Wheatley who was quicker than Harley Mills and kept trying to prove it.
Posh scored again straight from the re-start when a long clearance from goalkeeper Alex Bass was missed by Sam Hoskins, enabling Lisbie to run clear. His shot was well saved, but Leonard was on hand to convert the rebound.
That should have been that, but Posh became ragged and made so many poor passing decisions they kept Cobblers interested. And they still missed sitters that would have made the result a formality.
A fine Ben Woods pass to Kioso should have led to a Leonard hat-trick, but the captain’s attempted cross to the striker was poor and intercepted.
A minute later JJ Morgan turned his man beautifully, but his miserable attempt at goal struck the outside of a post. Lisbie than headed a precise Garbett cross wide of a goal.
But then Posh gave Cobblers a lifeline. Okagbue made a hash of two headers which left Tom Eaves to beat Bass to score on 67 minutes. Almost immediately a set-piece led to a Posh clearance off the line.
Posh kept creating with Lisbie never finding the finish or final bass his pace and trickery demanded. Cobblers created little either even when Bass enabled Eaves to nick the ball off him, but it was tense stuff all the way to the finish line.
The right team won though. The team that outshot their opponents 31-9 took the points and closed two within two points of their rivals.
Posh: Alex Bass, Peter Kioso (sub James Dornelly, 63 mins), Harley Mills, Tom Lees, David Okagbue, Archie Collins, Ben Woods (sub Donay O’Brien-Brady 70 mins), Matt Garbett, Jimmy-Jay Morgan (sub Declan Frith, 78 mins), Kyrell Lisbie, Harry Leonard.
Unused subs: Vicente Reyes, Brandon Khela, Abraham Odoh, Gustav Lindgren.
Cobblers: Ross Fitzsimmons, Conor McCarthy, Max Dyche (sub Jon Guthrie, 67 mins), Jack Perkins, Nesta McGuinness-Walker, Terry Taylor, Dean Campbell (sub Jack Burroughs, 55 mins), Sam Hoskins (sub Tyrese Fornah, 55 mins), Cameron McGeehan, Elliott List (sub Kamarai Swyer, 67 mins), Ethan Wheatley (sub Tom Eaves, 55 mins).
Unused subs: Lee Burge, Michael Forbes.
GOALS: Posh – Leonard (45 mins + 1 & 48 mins).
Cobblers – Eaves (67 mins).
SENDING-OFF: Cobblers – Perkins (serious foul play).
CAUTIONS: Posh – Garbett (foul), Kioso (foul).
Cobblers – Nolan (manager, dissent)
REFEREE: John Bushby
Attendance: 9,267 (1,626 Cobblers),