Portsmouth 1 Northampton Town 2 - the match report
SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday May 7th, 3.00pm
Fratton Park
PORTSMOUTH 1
Kal Naismith 49
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Jack Whatmough (own goal) 13
James Collins 82
Attendance: 18,746 (2,807 Cobblers fans)
Portsmouth: Brian Murphy, Ben Davies, Jack Whatmough (sub Conor Wilkinson 69), Adam Barton, Brandon Haunstrup (sub Ben Tollitt 78), Ben Close (sub Adam May 60), Kieron Freeman, Gareth Evans, Gary Roberts, Kal Naismith, Adam McGurk
Subs not used: Paul Jones, Enda Stevens, Michael Doyle, Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Josh Lelan, Zander Diamond, Luke Prosser, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Danny Rose, Ricky Holmes, Nicky Adams (sub Alfie Potter 62), Lawson D'Ath (sub Sam Hoskins 80), John Marquis (sub James Collins 67)
Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Ryan Cresswell, Jason Taylor, Joel Byrom
Referee: Mark Brown
Booked:
Portsmouth: Ben Davies (37), Adam McGurk (69), Gareth Evans (75)
Cobblers: Lawson D'Ath (45, 3rd of the season)
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Portsmouth: Kieron Freeman (47)
Cobblers: none
Sendings off: 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.
The Champions travelled to Portsmouth for the final game of an incredible season.
Lawson D’Ath replaced Sam Hoskins in the only change to the side as the Cobblers looked to extend their 23-game unbeaten run against the last team to beat them in the league, way back on 19 December 2015.
The Cobblers took the lead on 14 minutes when Nicky Adams' sumptuous cross was turned in to his own net by Portsmouth defender Jack Whatmough.
John Marquis fired over a chance created by Ricky Holmes while a superb save from Adam Smith denied Gary Roberts an equaliser for the home side.
Portsmouth were reduced to ten men in the early stages of the second half, Kieron Freeman shown a straight red card for a challenge on John-Joe O’Toole.
The ten men then equalised, Kal Naismith scoring from distance.
Alfie Potter came on for Nicky Adams before James Collins replaced John Marquis, who moments earlier had seen a shot saved by Brian Murphy.
The Cobblers were pressing and re-took the lead on 81 minutes, James Collins in the right place at the right time to touch home David Buchanan’s cross.
Kal Naismith tried again to restore parity with a curled effort from distance but Adam Smith made the save and the Cobblers remarkable record-breaking season was to end how it started, with an away win.
PORTSMOUTH MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 3
CORNERS: (0) 0
FOULS: (3) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 4
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (8) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta