Northampton relegated to League 2 after defeat away at Luton Town

Northampton Town have been relegated to League Two after a 2-1 defeat away at Luton Town.

The Cobblers had arrived at Kenilworth Road knowing only a mathematical miracle would’ve preserved their League One status, but they did have hopes of preserving their third tier status for another matchday after Sam Hoskins gave them a 31st minute lead.

However, Liam Walsh equalised for the recently crowned EFL Trophy winners in the first half, before Kal Naismith’s goal won the match for Luton in a goal that maintains their charge for the play-offs.

Victory means the Hatters are now just 3 points behind Stevenage in the push for a place in the play-offs with 4 games of the season to go. It was also Luton’s 5th win in 6 league games, in a sequence of results that has elevated the Bedfordshire club up to 7th in the table.

Defeat meanwhile was one too many for Northampton, who now sit bottom of the league after Port Vale drew yesterday. The Cobblers have lost all of their games since sacking previous manager Kevin Nolan early last month, with Northampton having won just one league game since Christmas. The run has seen the team go from being in midtable to plummeting out of League One.

The result means a return to League Two for the Cobblers, ending a 3 season stay in the third tier of English football. They follow Rotherham United down after the Millers were relegated last night after a heavy defeat by Wigan Athletic.

Northampton’s first game as a relegated side sees them host Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. Meanwhile, Luton will look to continue their fine form and push for the play-offs when they visit Mansfield Town.