Cobblers undone by quickfire second-half double as Charlton claim victory at the PTS

Two goals in six second-half minutes sent Cobblers down to their fourth defeat in five league games, beaten 2-0 by Charlton Athletic at the PTS Academy Stadium on Saturday.
Fraser Horsfall and Nicky Adams battle with Charlton striker Omar Bogle (Pictures: Pete Norton)Fraser Horsfall and Nicky Adams battle with Charlton striker Omar Bogle (Pictures: Pete Norton)
Fraser Horsfall and Nicky Adams battle with Charlton striker Omar Bogle (Pictures: Pete Norton)

There was nothing in the game during a tight first-half, if anything Town had been the brighter side, but Charlton's flurry shortly after the break was ultimately the difference as they secured a third straight league victory.

Darren Pratley came off the bench to hammer home the opener 10 minutes into the second-half and before Northampton could recover from that blow, Jack Sowerby inadvertently sliced the ball into his own net.

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Charlton, like Hull and Peterborough in previous games, then managed their lead smartly and whilst Cobblers didn't give up, a comeback never really looked likely.

Cobblers midfielder Christopher Missilou tussles with Charlton's Dylan LevittCobblers midfielder Christopher Missilou tussles with Charlton's Dylan Levitt
Cobblers midfielder Christopher Missilou tussles with Charlton's Dylan Levitt

Keith Curle made just one change to the team that beat Swindon in midweek but Luka Racic's return in place of Benny Ashley-Seal did mean other players shifted around as Michael Harriman went from centre-back to wing-back and in turn Sam Hoskins moved into a central role.

Town started well at the PTS and would have been ahead on 12 minutes if not for a spectacular close-range stop from Ben Amos who reacted brilliantly to keep out Hoskins' first-time volley.

That moment aside though, the first-half was not one to write home about. Charlton had plenty of the ball but most of it was harmless and inside their own half as Town were disciplined and organised and posed an occasional threat on the break.

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They would also argue they should have had a penalty late in the opening 45 when Danny Rose looked to have been tripped in the box, but referee Sam Allison showed little interest. Meanwhile, Charlton's only shot on target was barely even that, Omar Bogle's header trickling into the gloves of Jonathan Mitchell.

Hoskins had another shot blocked early in the second-half but it was Charlton, despite hardly threatening, who broke the deadlock. Racic sliced his clearance out for a corner and Jake Forster-Caskey's delivery was nodded down by Ryan Inniss for Pratley and he smacked into the roof of the net.

The visitors should have scored a carbon copy of that goal moments later as Paul Smyth scooped over from close-range, but it mattered little. Only 90 seconds later, Charlton broke from a Northampton corner and Alfie Doughty's low cross was turned into his own net by Sowerby.

From then on, Charlton were happy to sit in and soak up pressure as Curle introduced three attacking players in Benny Ashley-Seal, Caleb Chukwuemeka and Mark Marshall.

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Ashley-Seal almost gave Town a sniff when he was unable to keep his shot down from Rose's low cross, but otherwise Charlton saw out the victory without too many alarm bells.

Match facts

Cobblers: Mitchell, Racic (Marshall 70), Bolger (c), Horsfall, Harriman, Missilou, Adams (Ashley-Seal 62), Sowerby, Korboa (Chukwuemeka 64), Hoskins, Rose

Subs not used: Arnold, Watson, McWilliams, Smith

Charlton: Amos, Gunter (c), Famewo, Williams (Washington 77), Forster-Caskey, Doughty (Shinnie 66), Maatsen, Levitt (Pratley 45), Inniss, Smyth, Bogle

Subs not used: Morgan, Maddison, Watson, Maynard-Brewer

Referee: Sam Allison