Superb Cobblers romp past Burton with their best display of the season

Cobblers returned to winning ways with their best performance of the season as they romped to an impressive 3-1 victory over struggling Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.

This was like night and day from the Northampton of recent fixtures as they made a fast start against the Brewers and never looked back, with the excellent Harry Smith scoring twice, one in either half, and Chris Lines coming off the bench to also get in on the act.

Smith's first league goal of the campaign came from a set-piece and arrived just 90 seconds into the contest, before he doubled his tally midway through the second-half. Lines added the gloss when fizzing in a late third goal.

Burton rarely troubled their well-drilled and stubborn visitors at the other end, managing only two shots on target and creating just one clear chance, which came in stoppage-time when an unnecessary penalty allowed Lucas Akins to net a consolation, but by then the game was over.

It has been evident for a while now that the Cobblers play better football and look a more accomplished side on the road and this performance and result confirmed it. They are up to 16th in Sky Bet League One, two points above the drop zone.

Keith Curle named an attacking team at the Pirelli Stadium as Ricky Holmes was handed another start while homegrown pair Caleb Chukwuemka and Shaun McWilliams came in after impressive performances off the bench in midweek.

Mark Marshall, Sam Hoskins and Smith also returned in a very forward-thinking line-up and Curle's boldness paid off with only 90 seconds on the clock. Hoskins won a free-kick on the right flank and then flicked on Alan Sheehan's subsequent delivery and there was Smith at the back post to convert.

Feeding off that early goal with confidence, Town took the game to Burton and were close to a second five minutes later when Hoskins, Smith and Chukwuemeka combined to set up Marshall, but his shot was well blocked.

Burton flickered into life but Ben Garratt remained the busier goalkeeper in the opening quarter although he wasn't overly stretched, making a couple of routine stops from Hoskins and Jack Sowerby.

The home side worked some threatening positions in attack but their final ball lacked the quality to hurt Town and whilst the first-half was a decent watch, clear-cut chances were hard to come by at either end.

Cobblers repeated their fast start of the first-half in the second and could have had another goal to boot, but Hoskins stabbed wide following excellent approach work by Smith.

Burton's attempts to get back into the game were feeble and amounted to very little, but the half chances kept coming at the other end as Garratt tipped away Holmes' free-kick and Hoskins scooped over the crossbar from the edge of the box.

It wasn't long until the visitors scored a deserved second goal midway through the half. Sowerby and McWilliams combined to great effect in midfield to pinch back possession and thread a through pass for Smith to latch onto and he needed just one touch, poking past the onrushing Garratt and into the bottom corner.

Burton responded with their best chance of the game, Niall Ennis somehow failing to the score from close-range as the ball hit the inside of the post and rolled across the line before being hacked away.

Cobblers were now sitting back and looking to protect their lead, but they still carried a threat in attack and they killed the contest once and for all with nine minutes left. Marshall toiled away on the left flank and did well to get to the byline where he stood up a high cross for Lines at the back post and the substitute brilliantly fired home with a first-time volley.

That secured the points and then it became about trying to keep a rare clean sheet, however Town failed to do that when Fraser Horsfall needlessly handled the ball in the box and Akins scores from the penalty spot.

But that didn't take the gloss off an excellent and important victory, one that will hopefully reboot Northampton's season after a poor run of form.

Burton: Garratt, Brayford (c), Edwards (Lawless 45), Bostwick, Quinn, Vassilev (Vernam 45), Gallacher (Powell 77), Eardley, Gilligan (Hewlett 87), Ennis, Akins

Subs not used: O'Hara, Fox, O'Toole

Cobblers: Mitchell, Bolger (c), Horsfall, Sheehan, Sowerby, McWilliams (Missilou 83), Marshall, Hoskins, Holmes (Lines 65), Smith (Ashley-Seal 83), Chukwuemeka (Harriman 70)

Subs not used: Arnold, Adams, Rose

Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge