Match report: Town 3 - 2 Northampton

Sep 22 2008 By Dougie Thompson

TOWN made harder work of this win than they needed to, and Liam Davis’s goal for Northampton 30 seconds into stoppage time spelled a tense three minutes before the final whistle eventually sounded.

But after the previous week’s surrender to Tranmere, the outcome was far more important than the way it came about as far as Stan Ternent and his team were concerned, and the three-point tonic was very welcome ahead of Saturday’s tough trip to League I leaders Oldham.

While Town have run into trouble after going ahead in games, the victory at Cheltenham came after conceding the opener, and the first home league success of the season was sealed in the same circumstances.

Old master Andy Booth, back in the side after four games out with a back injury, prodded home a 34th-minute close-range effort to cancel out Luke Guttridge’s strike nine minutes earlier, his shot taking a wicked deflection off Jim Goodwin.

Then, after Michael Flynn fired home in the 64th and 78th minutes, the second being spilled over the line by goalkeeper Chris Dunn, Town seemed to be cruising – until Davis headed home from fellow substitute Ryan Gilligan’s cross.