Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Portsmouth 1st with 97 points, Northampton Town 14th with 60, 37 apart. Portsmouth's recent output lagged their position: 5th on form over five rounds while 1st in the table. Against a league average of 1.29 goals per team per game, Portsmouth ran at 1.7 scored and 0.89 conceded, Northampton Town at 1.24 and 1.43.
11 meetings are on record — 6 won by Portsmouth, 4 by Northampton Town, 1 drawn, at 2.73 goals per meeting. 64% of the meetings finished with three goals or more. Goals have risen lately: 4 per game across the last five meetings, against 2.73 across the full history.
Fratton Park in Portsmouth staged the fixture, a ground that holds 20,688. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Portsmouth led 2-0 at the break, before 3 more goals closed it at 4-1.