Carlisle 1 - 4 Northampton Town: Ruthless Northampton storm to victory against Carlisle

Runaway leaders Northampton gave Carlisle an attacking lesson as they made it 13 league games without defeat with a 4-1 win at Brunton Park.

John-Joe O'Toole scored either side of half-time and John Marquis and James Collins also found the target, with Hallam Hope giving Carlisle a brief glimpse of a revival when he made it 2-1.

Northampton had the home side on the back foot from the outset and Carlisle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie had to turn away a low Lee Collins shot then clutch Zander Diamond's header.

It was no surprise when the Cobblers took the lead in the 16th minute, on-loan Millwall striker Marquis, unmarked six yards out to head home Lee Martin's accurate cross.

Carlisle's Jason Kennedy and Jabo Ibehre narrowly missed the target from close range but Northampton's second goal came in the 33rd minute. O'Toole's shot from 15 yards, following a cross by skipper David Buchanan, took a big deflection to wrong-foot Gillespie.

Carlisle's half-time substitutions paid immediate dividends when Hope, with his first touch in the 47th minute, got on the end of Ibehre's cross from the right to force the ball home at the far post.

However the revival proved short-lived when Ricky Holmes crossed from the right and O'Toole slid the ball over the line.

Gillespie made a fine one-on-one save from Marquis but Collins finished well for 4-1 in the 74th minute, controlling a ball from the right before whipping an angled shot past the Carlisle goalkeeper.

Although Kennedy hit the woodwork there was no way back for Carlisle.