Pilgrims romp home past sorry Cobblers
New-look Plymouth swept to only their third League Two victory of the season after thumping four first-half goals past struggling Northampton, eventually running out 4-1 winners at Home Park
The Cobblers, with caretaker boss Tim Flowers in charge of his first game, conceded seven against Shrewsbury last week under David Lee and they were rocked by two goals in the opening nine minutes this weekend.
Argyle - who fielded four debutants - opened the scoring from Simon Walton's eighth-minute penalty after Town skipper John Johnson handled Ashley Hemmings' cross from the left.
A minute later Argyle were 2-0 up as on-loan Stockport striker Nick Chadwick - who had already hit the woodwork - powered a near-post header into the roof of the net from Conor Hourihane's cross.
Will Atkinson smashed in a third from the angle of the penalty area after cutting inside from the right.
And Chadwick then teed up on-loan Wolves winger Hemmings for his first-ever League goal in the 44th minute, piling the misery on Town.
It could have been more but for some excellent saves from Sam Walker, the Northampton keeper palming away Atkinson's header and then tipping over a goalbound Hourihane strike from the corner.
A dour second half was livened up in the 79th minute when Walton went close with a 20-yard volley.
And then seconds after Darren Purse had cleared Paul Turnbull's stoppage-time lob off the goal-line, Northampton striker Adebayo Akinfenwa headed a 92nd-minute consolation for the Cobblers from Ben Tozer's throw-in.
Plymouth 4-1 Northampton: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game as it happened.
Source: DSG
