COBBLERS PROMOTED! Final-day victory over Tranmere Rovers seals return to League One

Cobblers have won promotion back to League One after edging their way to victory over Tranmere Rovers on a nerve-shredding final day of the season at Prenton Park.

Fittingly, it was League Two’s Player of the Season Sam Hoskins who scored the all-important goal as his brilliant volley – his 22nd of a magnificent campaign – after only five minutes ultimately proved enough to clinch the win Northampton needed to return to League One.

Town’s promotion was actually confirmed a few minutes before the full-time whistle on Merseyside courtesy of Stockport County’s failure to beat Hartlepool United elsewhere, a result that was greeted by a deafening roar in the packed, buoyant away end at Prenton Park.

And it wasn’t long until those in pink could celebrate properly with fans duly streaming the pitch to mob their heroes and really get the party started once referee Craig Hicks blew his whistle to bring the curtain down on the 2022/23 campaign.

It has been a long, arduous and often difficult season and predictably the final afternoon had to be tense and dramatic, but few can begrudge Cobblers their promotion, particularly after what happened 12 months ago.

Jon Brady and his players have overcome setback after setback and have defied seemingly all the odds to finish third in League Two, and now they can celebrate, rest and look forward to their return to the third tier in a few months.

Brady made one change for Monday’s crunch game at Prenton Park as Harvey Lintott was recalled in place of Will Hondermarck, which meant captain Sam Hoskins started further forward.

Cobblers made the best possible start when they went ahead with a spectacular opener after just five minutes. Tranmere could only half clear a corner to Hoskins on the edge of the box and he controlled the ball on his chest before unleashing a sweet volley past standed goalkeeper Mateusz Hewelt.

Tranmere responded well and they might have had a penalty when a cross from the left struck Sam Sherring’s arm, but the referee instead pointed for a corner.

The home side dominated the ball but created little while Cobblers had some a couple of half chances up the other end, both of which fell to Hoskins and neither troubled the target.

Town got through to half-time 1-0 ahead but with Stockport beating Hartlepool, their position was precarious with 45 minutes of the season to go.

And the way the visitors started the second-half would have done little to settle nerves as Tranmere went close to levelling, O’Connor heading wide after Lintott miscued a clearance.

It was a tense and nerve-shredding 45 minutes of football, especially with Town unable to extend their lead despite several chances. Lintott drilled a dangerous low cross across the face of goal and Appéré’s shot deflected wide.

Sam Taylor hit the side-netting at the other end before news filtered through of Hartlepool’s equaliser at Stockport.

It remained tense and nervy and Taylor was a toe away from equalising for Tranmere as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, and the development of a Stockport penalty in stoppage-time at Edgley Park only increased nerves.

But that penalty was missed and seconds later the full-time whistle went, sparking jubilation among the sea of pink in the away end, with some even entering the pitch.

They had to wait a couple more minutes until Town’s victory was confirmed against Tranmere and then the party really got underway.

Tranmere: Hewelt, Dacres-Cogley, Davies, Turnbull (Mumbongo 89), Bristow, Hendry, Hughes (Turner-Cooke 45), O’Connor (Burton 67), Hawkes, Hemmings ©, Taylor

Subs not used: Murphy, Jameson, Hoti, Chalmers

Cobblers: Burge, Lintott, Sherring, Dyche, Haynes (Osew 38), McWilliams (Hondermarck 74), Leonard, Pinnock, Hoskins ©, Bowie (Hylton 87), Appéré (Norman 86)

Subs not used: King, Eppiah, Yengi

Referee: Craig Hicks

Attendance: 8,225

Cobblers fans: 2,200