Proud boss Jon Brady hails 'incredible' night on and off the pitch for Cobblers

Without so many key players, including captain Jon Guthrie, Town battled to their most impressive and most unlikely win of the season as goals from Louis Appéré and Mitch Pinnock inched them closer to automatic promotion.

Sam Sherring got off the treatment table to start and Max Dyche also returned early from injury to replace the stricken Jack Sowerby early on, but Cobblers, roared on by their superb supporters, refused to buckle and moved five points clear of third place.

Brady said: "Sutton are a hugely physical side and to stand up to that just showed great inner-strength, great mental strength and I cannot praise the players enough and I cannot praise the fans enough.

"I thought they were incredible all night, especially in those last 10 or 15 minutes.

"The atmosphere they generated was amazing, it was almost as if they created a wall in front of a goal to stop the ball going into the net and they kept it away from our goal.

"I sent out a rally cry a couple of weeks ago and they have responded incredibly.

"Sutton are probably one of the most physical and most competitive teams in the league and they have done so well to win the Conference and then to be there or thereabouts in League Two over the last couple of seasons.

"Matt Gray and Jason Goodlife have done a great job and this is a tough place to come.

"You don't realise how tough it is and not many teams come here and get results so for those players to do what they did tonight, in the circumstances, is just incredible.

"It’s a good night but it’s just another step in the right direction.”