Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Northampton thrash Exeter at empty Wembley to seal League One promotion

Soccer Football - League Two Play-Off Final - Exeter City v Northampton Town - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - June 29, 2020 Northampton Town's Ryan Watson, Callum Morton, Sam Hoskins and Andy Williams celebrate with the trophy after winning the League Two Play-Off Final, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images/John Sibley

Northampton Town were promoted to English football's third tier on Monday after cruising to a 4-0 win over Exeter City in the League Two playoff final played at an empty Wembley Stadium.

Goals from Ryan Watson and Callum Morton gave Northampton the ideal start while their task was made easier when Exeter's Dean Moxley was sent off early in the second half.

Sam Hoskins and Andy Williams added further strikes to rubber-stamp Northampton's return to League One after a two-year absence.

Northampton were seventh in the standings, occupying the last play-off position, when the season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Clubs voted to end the campaign early, deciding the final table on points per game.

Northampton lost the first leg of their semi-final clash with Cheltenham Town 2-0 but staged a remarkable comeback in the second leg, which was also played behind-closed-doors, to win 3-0 and advance to the final.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.