Northampton close in on promotion after hitting back to beat Harrogate

Posted Sunday, April 23, 2023 by PA

Northampton are one win away from securing automatic promotion to Sky Bet League One after beating Harrogate 3-1 at home.

The visitors struck first at Sixfields but goals from David Norman, Sam Hoskins and Kieron Bowie turned things around before half-time and kept the Cobblers second in League Two with two games to go.

Harrogate are all-but safe despite the defeat after Crawley’s win over Hartlepool.

Harrogate took a shock lead with just three minutes on the clock when Northampton failed to deal with a long goal-kick and the ball dropped invitingly for Kazeem Olaigbe to fire home.

The lead lasted just seven minutes though as the hosts hit straight back through Norman’s close-range finish from a Mitch Pinnock corner.

Harrogate continued to have the better of it with Matty Foulds going close, and it was somewhat against the run of play when Northampton took the lead midway through the half, Hoskins drilling home his 21st goal of the season after being slipped in by Bowie.

And the home side extended their advantage in first-half stoppage-time when Pinnock cleverly picked out Bowie and he emphatically volleyed beyond Mark Oxley.

The second half lacked the excitement of the first as Northampton managed their lead well and saw the game out with few alarms.