Around the grounds in League Two: Cobblers still well-placed as rivals slip-up
Cobblers remain well placed for a top seven finish this season after a day where many promotion contenders in Sky Bet League Two slipped up.
Town suffered a rare home defeat on Saturday when beaten 1-0 by Port Vale, who themselves moved right into the play-off mix, now ninth and level on points with seventh.
Leaders Swindon Town, who visit the PTS on Tuesday, were pegged back to a 1-1 draw by Carlisle United while Crewe Alexandra grabbed a 97th minute winner to beat Oldham Athletic and move up to second.
Exeter remain third after beating struggling Stevenage and the big game of the day ended in a resounding victory for Colchester United, who romped to a 3-0 win over fourth-placed Plymouth.
That result saw Colchester leapfrog the Cobblers, who drop to sixth but remain four points inside the play-offs with a game in hand.
Elsewhere, Cheltenham lost at Scunthorpe United, Bradford were denied victory in Stuart McCall's first game back in charge by a late Grimsby goal and Forest Green Rovers were beaten for a fourth time in five games, losing 2-0 at home to Walsall.
Salford and Crawley, who remain just about in touch with the play-offs, drew 0-0 and Newport County went down 1-0 at home to Cambridge United.