Cobblers claim share of the spoils as Sunderland are held to a draw at the PTS

It was a scrappy game desperately low on drama and entertainment but that will not bother the Cobblers who notch up another important point in their battle to avoid relegation at the bottom of League One.

The Black Cats, playing their first match in over two weeks due to a COVID outbreak, squandered the game's best chance when Charlie Wyke scooped over 17 minutes from time, but that was the only clear opportunity they created all match.

Town have now taken four points from their past two games, a serious improvement in what went before, and remain 19th in the table.

Keith Curle went with an unchanged team and his side made a decent start, carving out a glimpse of Lee Burge's goal through Nicky Adams on five minutes when he screwed a long-range effort wide of the mark.

Sunderland were slow to get going but their first attack nearly yielded the opener as Wyke planted his free header wide of the far post from Grant Leadbitter's free-kick.

Max Power also stung the palms of Jonathan Mitchell with a vicious strike from distance but it was otherwise slim pickings in a scrappy and untidy first-half.

The Black Cats saw more of the ball without posing too many problems for Town in the final third, while the home side only threatened through the occasional counter-attack.

Ryan Watson wanted a penalty late in the half after a challenge with Burge but he was instead booked for diving, and the midfielder was at the centre of the action again early in the second period, choosing to shoot rather than pass to Adams who was in acres of space.

It was a long wait for the next meaningful chance but Wyke really should have made more of it after a scramble in the penalty box fell his way on 73 minutes and he scooped over the crossbar.

Neither side committed too many men forward in the closing stages, and if anything it was Town who had the better chances to snatch all three points with Jack Sowerby clearing the crossbar and Sam Hoskins seeing a deflected shot saved by Burge.

That was about it though with both sides having to make do with a point.

Match facts

Cobblers: Mitchell, Jones, Bolger, Sheehan (Horsfall 62), McWilliams, Sowerby, Watson, Hoskins, Adams (Harriman 89), Ashley-Seal, Rose (Smith 74)

Subs not used: Arnold, Missilou, Holmes, Marshall

Sunderland: Burge, McLaughlin, Flanagan, Wright, Power (c) (Maguire 68), Scowen, Sanderson, Diamond (Gooch 68), Leadbitter, McGeady (O'Brien 78), Wyke (Graham 88)

Subs not used: Willis, Embleton, Matthews

Referee: Leigh Doughty