Northampton Town 2-1 Luton Town

The Cobblers clung on to hope of a playoff place on Saturday as a narrow win over Luton Town was enough to pull us a point closer to the top six. Other results mean that we still must surely win all four remaining games to stand a chance of sneaking in but there is at least still a glimmer of hope!

Stuart Gray was without Ryan Gilligan who served the second of a two game suspension. Youngster Alex Dyer came into midfield in place of Joe Burnell while Jonathon Hayes was replaced in the starting line-up by Poul Hubertz. Former Cobblers striker Sam Parkin lined up for the visitors.

17-Year-old Dyer came close to opening the scoring after just a couple of minutes. Danny Jackman pulled the ball back and Dyer hit a shot just over the bar. Parkin then had a chance at the other end but headed wide of Mark Bunn’s post.

In a disappointing game from both sides’ perspectives, it wasn’t the most entertaining of games but the Cobblers converted a penalty to take the lead just after the half hour mark. Poul Hubertz was pulled down in the area and he dusted himself off to fire home the spot kick and give us the lead.

We began to enforce our authority on the game and Andy Holt so nearly made it two but his header was cleared off the line by veteran Don Hutchison. After Parkin had shot at Bunn at the other end, though, we did have a vital second goal.

Daniel Jones did well down the left hand side and provided a good cross for Alex Dyer and the youth team player made no mistake with a header that beat Dean Brill and we went into half-time in high spirits.

Luton started the second half the brighter side and Calvin Andrew did well to beat a couple of men and shoot just wide of Bunn’s post early in the half. Daniel Jones then headed wide for the Cobblers after he started and ended a good move up field.

Alex Dyer’s afternoon was ended mid-way through the half as he was replaced by Jonathon Hayes and Joe Burnell then came on for Giles Coke.

It was a quiet ending to the game until Sam Parkin got the Sixfields nerves working overtime as he tapped the ball home from close range. But that was too little too late and Luton sank to the foot of the League One table as the Cobblers jumped a place to eleventh.

Southend away is up next and we’re still in with an outside chance of the playoffs…until that isn’t the case we can still believe in an exciting conclusion to the 2007/08 story.