Northampton bounce back into top 3 by defeating Leyton Orient
Northampton’s hopes of automatic promotion were boosted by a 4-2 win at Leyton Orient that saw the Cobblers climb back into 3rd.
Mitch Pinnock had put the visitors in front in East London before Jon Guthrie bundled in a second.
It would then be further first half delight for Jon Brady’s side when Josh Eppiah rolled in a third goal just six minutes after Northampton had scored their second.
A busy first half would still produce two more goals. Theo Archibald scored a goal back for the home side in the opening minute of first half stoppage time, but just two minutes later, Eppiah would grab his second and the away side’s fourth.
Jordan Brown scored a second home goal within five minutes of the restart, but Leyton Orient couldn’t force in any more goals and instead ended a man light after Shad Ogie was sent off.
With Port Vale losing against Walsall, victory means Jon Brady’s side return into the automatic promotion spots as they sit 3rd. The Cobblers hold a 1 point lead on the side from Staffordshire and a 2 point lead on 4th place Bristol Rovers, who drew 0-0 with the now-promoted Forest Green Rovers.
Leyton Orient had started brightly, with Liam Roberts making the game’s first stop as the Cobblers keeper denied Aaron Drinan.
Northampton then began to turn things up, as Lawrence Vigouroux made early saves to deny both Eppiah and Louis Appere.
But the away side would strike first. Pinnock was given space to shoot and duly did so with gusto, firing a strike in from 20 yards that crashed home.
The visitors looked likely to score the game’s next goal and duly did so just after the half hour mark, as Guthrie hit the post then turned in his own rebound to make it 2-0.
Northampton still carried on, and moments after Eppiah was denied by Vigouroux, the Leicester loanee grabbed another. A through pass by Ali Koiki found the onside Eppiah, who duly advanced and finished.
As the game moved into stoppage time, Leyton Orient would grab themselves a goal, as Archibald turned in Paul Smyth’s cross.
But Northampton duly scored again moments later. Sam Hoskins’ cross found an unmarked Eppiah, who helped himself to score his second of the game.
Half-time home sub Brown saw a deflected effort beat Roberts to make it 4-2 just after half-time, and the home side duly began to offer more attacking intent to try and launch a comeback.
Guthrie cleared a header from Smyth off the line, with sub Harry Smith also going close.
But the home side wouldn’t grab a third goal that would have tipped the momentum in their favour, and things got worse when they were reduced to ten men after Ogie was sent off for his part in a run-in with away sub Danny Rose.
Northampton duly kept the home side at bay from there, and took a priceless three points for their promotion push home with them.