Bitter experience inspired two-goal hero Morton and the Cobblers to historic play-off comeback

Town became only the third team to recover from suffering a two-goal defeat at home in the first leg of a semi to progress to the final when they stunned Cheltenham Town 3-0 at Whaddon Road to book their place at Wembley next Monday night.

The only other clubs to manage such a turnaround were Bradford City in 1996, and Yeovil Town in 2007.

Keith Curle's men had gone into the game trailing 2-0 thanks to the Robins' win at the PTS Academy Stadium last Thursday, but Morton said the belief in the Cobblers camp was strong.

And they called on bitter experience to inspire them.

In the regular season, the Cobblers drew matches 2-2 after leading 2-0 against Crawley, Morecambe, and Oldham Athletic, and in February they lost 3-2 at Walsall after Morton's first-half double had them 2-0 up at the break.

"We know all about that. have had 2-0 leads this season and we have choked on some occasions," said Morton, who netted the second and third goals on a remarkable night at Whaddon Road.

"We knew that if we came here and performed then they were going to crumble, and that's how it worked out."

Few gave the Cobblers much of a chance as they travelled to Gloucestershire, especially as the Robins boasted the second best defensive record in the country, behind only Premier League champions-elect Liverpool, and the fact they hadn't lost any of the six league games they were beaten in by more than one goal.

"When you looked at the stats you would think it is going to be impossible, but we knew that we had it in us to score three goals," said Morton.

"This is one of the toughest places to come in the league, and I don't know when the last time was they conceded three goals, but they crumbled and we pounced on that.

"We came here with a plan, and we couldn't have done it better. We executed the plan perfectly, and I don't really remember them having a meaningful chance.

"We knew we had to score three goals, and that is what we have done, we absolutely trounced them.

"It is well know that 2-0 is one of the most dangerous scorelines in football, and we knew that if we came here and didn't give them a breath, then we have to quality in us defensively and going forward that we can win the game, and we have."

On loan from Sky Bet Championship promotion chasers West Bromwich Albion, Morton has now scored seven goals in 11 appearances for the Cobblers, and although neither goal at Cheltenham will be on any classic goals DVDs, both finishes showed that crucial thing - a striker's instinct.

"I was stood on the keeper, and I would like to say I aimed it in, but the ball just hit my head and it went in," said Morton of his first goal, which saw the ball deflect off him and in as Ben Tozer looked to try and nod the ball back to goalkeeper Owen Evans.

"As a striker, you will take goals like that all day."

The second saw Morton react the quickest after Michael Harriman's effort rebounded off the post, and he said. "They have obviously had a mix-up in the defence and I was first to it and put it in, and it has turned out to be the winning goal in the tie."

Morton could have sealed the deal for the Cobblers in the closing minutes, running half the length of the pitch on the break, only to be denied by Evans.

He did have support and could have passed, but the 20-year-old admitted: "To be honest, both of my calves were in bits and I didn't even see anybody out there!

"I just thought I would have a shot, and the hat-trick would have been the icing on the cake, but the most important thing is that we have gone through."