Match ends, Northampton Town 3, Portsmouth 1.
NorthamptonNorthampton Town3PortsmouthPortsmouth1
Chris Long scored twice as Northampton beat Portsmouth to secure a second League One win in three days for new boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Burnley loanee Long and Matt Crooks fired the Cobblers 2-0 up inside 32 minutes, but Pompey raised their game in the second half.
Matt Kennedy fired the south coast side back into it in the 49th minute, and although they went on to create several more chances, it was Long who made it 3-1 with 20 minutes remaining.
After a scrappy start in wet and windy conditions, Northampton took the lead on 18 minutes, when Long raced on to a Shaun McWilliams pass and slipped the ball past Pompey goalkeeper Luke McGee, who was slow off his line.
Town doubled their advantage on 32 minutes, with Crooks glancing Matt Grimes's inswinging free-kick from the right wing, the ball deflecting in off Pompey defender Matt Clarke.
The visitors pressed and probed, and twice almost reduced the arrears.
Cobblers defender Ash Taylor headed a Jamal Lowe cross against his own post, while just before the break goalkeeper Matt Ingram tipped Pompey midfielder Stuart O'Keefe's long-range effort over.
Pompey did pull a goal back on 49 minutes, Kennedy firing home from 18 yards, and they created other chances but failed to take them.
In the 70th minute Northampton sealed the win, Long thrashing home his second at the far post following a Brendan Moloney cross.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
Line-ups
Northampton
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Ingram
- 2Moloney
- 6Taylor
- 16Pierre
- 3Buchanan
- 22CrooksBooked at 90mins
- 17McWilliamsSubstituted forKasimat 29'minutes
- 29Grimes
- 20SmithSubstituted forPowellat 56'minutes
- 10RevellSubstituted forRichardsat 77'minutes
- 19Long
Substitutes
- 1Cornell
- 4Kasim
- 5Barnett
- 7Waters
- 9Richards
- 11Powell
- 26Poole
Portsmouth
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1McGee
- 20ThompsonBooked at 11mins
- 6Burgess
- 5ClarkeBooked at 42mins
- 2McCrory
- 30MaySubstituted forCloseat 57'minutes
- 7O'Keefe
- 18LoweBooked at 62mins
- 8Pitman
- 11Kennedy
- 19Chaplin
Substitutes
- 14Main
- 17Donohue
- 22Naismith
- 23Bennett
- 25Talbot
- 33Close
- 35Bass
- Referee:
- Darren Drysdale
- Attendance:
- 5,855
Match Stats
Home TeamNorthamptonAway TeamPortsmouth
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home4
- Away21
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away9
- Corners
- Home3
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Northampton Town 3, Portsmouth 1.
Post update
Attempt missed. Christian Burgess (Portsmouth) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a corner.
Post update
Attempt saved. Stuart O'Keefe (Portsmouth) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the top right corner.
Post update
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Matt Ingram.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Matthew Kennedy (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Matthew Clarke (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Matt Crooks (Northampton Town).
Post update
Christian Burgess (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Daniel Powell (Northampton Town).
Post update
Attempt saved. Stuart O'Keefe (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
Post update
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Matt Ingram.
Post update
Attempt saved. Christian Burgess (Portsmouth) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Post update
Ben Close (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Daniel Powell (Northampton Town).
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ben Close (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Matt Crooks.
Substitution
Substitution, Northampton Town. Marc Richards replaces Alex Revell.
Post update
Matt Crooks (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Damien McCrory (Portsmouth).
