Northampton Town 1-0 Tranmere Rovers

Ryan Cresswell, centre, scores the only goal at Sixfields

Play-off chasing Northampton Town edged out struggling Tranmere Rovers thanks to Ryan Cresswell's second-half winner.

Lawson D'Ath hit the bar for the Cobblers before Cresswell headed wide from Darren Carter's corner.

But the centre-half made amends when he headed home Carter's free-kick.

Tranmere went close late-on when Janoi Donacien's header was superbly saved by Matt Duke and they remain in the bottom two as Northampton moved three points away from the play-offs.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Northampton

• 1Duke
• 2Moloney
• 36Cresswell
• 6Collins
• 3Horwood
• 26HolmesSubstituted forHackettat 70'minutes
• 21Taylor
• 4CarterBooked at 61mins
• 19D'Ath
• 10O'TooleSubstituted forToneyat 82'minutes
• 14GraySubstituted forNeweyat 83'minutes

Substitutes

• 7Bodin
• 11Hackett
• 16Diamond
• 17Perry
• 24Toney
• 33Newey
• 42Jalal

Tranmere

• 1Williams
• 12Donacien
• 5IhiekweBooked at 61mins
• 32ThompsonSubstituted forHugillat 71'minutes
• 3Ridehalgh
• 31Myrie-WilliamsBooked at 61mins
• 4Power
• 22JenningsSubstituted forShukerat 78'minutes
• 17TaylorSubstituted forDonnellyat 45'minutes
• 11Gardner
• 9Odejayi

Substitutes

• 2Holmes
• 10Hugill
• 14Laird
• 18Dugdale
• 20Ramsbottom
• 23Shuker
• 29Donnelly

Referee:

Graham Salisbury

Attendance:

4,428

Match Stats

Home TeamNorthamptonAway TeamTranmere

Possession

Home53%

Away47%

Shots

Home15

Away7

Shots on Target

Home7

Away1

Corners

Home8

Away6

Fouls

Home13

Away10

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Northampton Town 1, Tranmere Rovers 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Northampton Town 1, Tranmere Rovers 0.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Ivan Toney (Northampton Town).

Posted at 90'+1'

Janoi Donacien (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 88'

Corner, Tranmere Rovers. Conceded by Matt Duke.

Posted at 88'

Attempt saved. Kayode Odejayi (Tranmere Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner.

Posted at 87'

Corner, Tranmere Rovers. Conceded by Tom Newey.

Posted at 86'

Attempt missed. Rory Donnelly (Tranmere Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.

Posted at 85'

Corner, Tranmere Rovers. Conceded by Brendon Moloney.

Substitution

Posted at 83'

Substitution, Northampton Town. Tom Newey replaces James Gray.

Substitution

Posted at 82'

Substitution, Northampton Town. Ivan Toney replaces John-Joe O'Toole.

Posted at 81'

Foul by John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town).

Posted at 81'

Chris Shuker (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 78'

Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Chris Shuker replaces Steven Jennings.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. James Gray (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 76'

Attempt saved. Brendon Moloney (Northampton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Ryan Cresswell (Northampton Town) header from very close range misses to the right.

Posted at 74'

Corner, Northampton Town. Conceded by Liam Ridehalgh.

Posted at 72'

Corner, Tranmere Rovers. Conceded by Evan Horwood.

Posted at 72'

Foul by John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town).

Posted at 72'

Rory Donnelly (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution

Posted at 71'

Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Jordan Hugill replaces Josh Thompson.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Lawson D'Ath (Northampton Town).

Posted at 71'

Michael Ihiekwe (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 70'

Attempt blocked. Lawson D'Ath (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Northampton Town. Chris Hackett replaces Ricky Holmes because of an injury.

Posted at 69'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 68'

Delay in match Ricky Holmes (Northampton Town) because of an injury.

Posted at 67'

Ricky Holmes (Northampton Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Steven Jennings (Tranmere Rovers).

Posted at 65'

Foul by Darren Carter (Northampton Town).

Posted at 65'

Kayode Odejayi (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Lawson D'Ath (Northampton Town).

Posted at 64'

Michael Ihiekwe (Tranmere Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Goal!

Posted at 62'

Goal! Northampton Town 1, Tranmere Rovers 0. Ryan Cresswell (Northampton Town) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Darren Carter with a cross.

Booking

Posted at 61'

Michael Ihiekwe (Tranmere Rovers) is shown the yellow card.

Booking

Posted at 61'

Jennison Myrie-Williams (Tranmere Rovers) is shown the yellow card.

Booking

Posted at 61'

Darren Carter (Northampton Town) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 60'

Lawson D'Ath (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 60'

Foul by Michael Ihiekwe (Tranmere Rovers).

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