Hoskins and Zimba keep Cobblers in the top three with excellent victory over Hartlepool United

Goals from Sam Hoskins and Chanka Zimba ensured Cobblers kept their noses ahead of the chasing pack in the League Two promotion race with a 2-0 victory over Hartlepool United at Sixfields on Saturday.

Hoskins broke the deadlock with only six minutes on the clock and Zimba added a second - his first for the club - shortly after the hour-mark to secure an important bounce-back victory for the home side.

And in even better news, Bristol Rovers, Tranmere Rovers and Sutton United were all beaten while Newport County could only draw in addition to wins for Port Vale, Exeter City and Mansfield Town. Cobblers remain third as a result and now have a three-point cushion back to fourth.

Jon Brady was forced into one change from the defeat to Bristol Rovers with Bez Lubala replacing the injured Tyler Magloire. Scott Pollock and Max Dyche, both recalled from loans this week, made the bench.

Hoskins started up front alongside Louis Appere and the two combined for the opening goal just six minutes in, albeit only after both goalkeepers were called into early action.

In a very lively start, Omar Bogle forced a good save from Liam Roberts after escaping the attentions of Town's centre-backs before visiting stopper Nicholas Bilokapic beat away Mitch Pinnock's drilled shot.

Hartlepool almost got in behind the home defence again moments later but a loose touch let down Luke Molyneux and within seconds the ball was in the back of the away side's net. Pinnock and Appere combined smartly to slip in Hoskins and he did the rest, finishing coolly through the legs of Bilokapic.

United continued to be a threat with their fluid, easy-on-the-eye football and they were inches away from a leveller midway through the first-half when Jamie Sterry snuck in behind Joseph Mills and laid the ball off for Tom Crawford but despite time and space to pick his spot, he curled wide.

Town tweaked shape with Hoskins going wide and Pinnock moving into a more central role, and that seemed to nullify Hartlepool's dangerous movement to an extent for the remainder of the first-half, although Molyneux did test the finger-tips of Roberts with a well-struck effort in stoppage-time.

David Ferguson squandered another opening early in the second-half, shooting wide via a deflection, and Hartlepool's wasteful finishing came back to bite them just after the hour-mark.

Only seconds after coming on, Zimba scored his first Cobblers goal after Hartlepool failed to clear Pinnock's free-kick and the ball dropped perfectly to him six yards out.

Lubala whipped a shot just wide in search of a third goal and Hartlepool continued to probe with Sterry dragging wide and Bogle heading over, while Aaron McGowan made a goal-saving clearance inside his six-yard box.

The visitors had played well and will feel aggrieved to have left without anything to show for their efforts, but Cobblers will not care about that as they keep pace in the race for promotion.

Cobblers: Roberts, McGowan, Horsfall, Guthrie, Mills (c), Sowerby, Lewis, Pinnock, Lubala (Harriman 89), Hoskins (Eppiah 74), Appere (Zimba 58)

Subs not used: Maxted, Dyche, Pollock, Rose

Hartlepool: Bilokapic, Sterry, Odusina, Liddle (Grey 64), Ferguson, Featherstone (c), Byrne, Crawford (Carver 80), Morris (Fletcher 64), Molyneux, Bogle

Subs not used: Shelton, Boyes, Smith, Ogle

Referee: Keith Stroud

Attendance: 5,673

Hartlepool fans: 320