COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE
Saturday May 2nd, 3pm
Elland Road

LEEDS UNITED 3
Luciano BECCHIO 44, Jermaine BECKFORD 60, Robert SNODGRASS 90

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Attendance: 34,214 (1,188 Cobblers fans)

Leeds: Casper ANKERGREN, Jonathan DOUGLAS, Rui MARQUES, Neil KILKENNY (sub Robert SNODGRASS 57), Jermaine BECKFORD (sub Mike GRELLA 77), Luciano BECCHIO, Jonathan HOWSON, Fabian DELPH, Andrew ROBINSON, Ben PARKER (sub Frazer RICHARDSON 67), Richard NAYLOR 
Substitutes not used: David LUCAS, Bradley JOHNSON

Cobblers: Chris DUNN, Jason CROWE, Danny JACKMAN, Mark HUGHES, Liam DOLMAN, Luke GUTTRIDGE, Ikechi ANYA (sub Colin LARKIN 63), Abdul OSMAN, Andy HOLT (sub Liam DAVIS 63), Adebayo AKINFENWA, Leon CONSTANTINE
Substitutes not used: Paul WALKER, Giles COKE, Adam WATTS

Referee: Mr A Penn

Booked:
Leeds: none
Cobblers: Liam DOLMAN (10, 1st of the season) 

15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Leeds: none
Cobblers: none

Sending offs: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.

Northampton Town's day of destiny arrived with a trip to Leeds United on the final day of the 2008/2009 season. Stuart Gray made two changes to the side that had lost against the MK Dons with Leon Constantine and Adebayo Akinfenwa replacing Aleksandar Prijovic and Ryan Gilligan.

Fabian Delph curled an early shot wide for Leeds, the United midfielder breaking away from a Cobblers corner.

As news came through that Carlisle had taken the lead against Millwall, Liam Dolman was booked for a foul on Delph.

A swift Leeds move on the half hour mark saw Jonathan Howson slide a pass through to Jermaine Beckford, but the striker's shot was half blocked by Mark Hughes, allowing Chris Dunn to gather. The Cobblers keeper was in action again a few minutes later, beating away a shot from Andy Robinson.

The home side did have the lead just before half time. A Robinson cross from the left was headed home at the far post by Luciano Becchio. Luke Guttridge fired over as the Cobblers looked to respond.

Guttridge sent a curling effort wide from the edge of the box four minutes after the break, while Leon Constantine was just too high from 20 yards moments later.

Carlisle doubled their lead at Brunton Park as Neil Kilkenny shot over the bar for Leeds. Naylor then blocked a Constantine effort at point blank range as the Cobblers continued to go forward.

Leeds made a change with Robert Snodgrass replacing Kilkenny, before they scored their second, Jermaine Beckford arrowing a finish into the bottom corner having been played in by the substitute.

Liam Davis and Colin Larkin came on for Andy Holt and Ikechi Anya as Stuart Gray made a double change. Akinfenwa then headed a deep cross from Mark Hughes wide of the target.

Frazer Richardson was introduced at the expense of Ben Parker in Leeds second change, before Beckford volleyed over the bar from close range at the far post.

The home side's final change saw Mike Grella come on for Beckford, before news of Brighton's goal against Stockport reached Elland Road.

Akinfenwa headed a Jackman corner wide of the far post as the Cobblers looked to come back, but it was to no avail, at the other end Robert Snodgrass fired a spectacular far post volley past Dunn deep in stoppage time to complete the scoring.

Results elsewhere went against them, and so this defeat confirmed that Northampton Town will be kicking off in League 2 come August.

LEEDS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 10
CORNERS: (3) 5
FOULS: (1) 5
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 1
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 6
CORNERS: (3) 10
FOULS: (4) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 1

The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.

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