Mansfield reach final

First leg report

Mansfield 1-3 Northampton (agg 3-3; Mansfield win 5-4 on penalties)

A Colin Larkin penalty sent Mansfield into the Third Division play-off final against Huddersfield after a sudden death shoot-out over Northampton.

Eric Sabin's missed penalty proved costly after Northampton had stormed back into the tie with a Marc Richards' volley and a Chris Hargreaves' header.

Just 30 seconds after the break Martin Smith steered home a fine finish just inside the box to stun Mansfield.

But after a Larkin shot was blocked, Tom Curtis lashed in the rebound.

Mansfield - 2-0 ahead from the first leg - were in cruise control until Richards stunned Field Mill with a spectacular volley 10 minutes before the interval.

The striker, who missed a hatful of opportunities in the first leg at Sixfields, latched on to Paul Trollope's flick to beat Pilkington from an acute angle.

Northampton struck again before the break when Hargreaves headed a Smith free-kick into the roof of the net.

And the turnaround was complete when Smith steered home a fine finish from just inside the box after Trollope latched onto a misdirected Wayne Corden pass and fed the ball invitingly into the striker's path.

Mansfield bss Keith Curle threw on Larkin to partner Junior Mendes in attack and the home side were soon to drew level on aggregate in controversial circumstances.

After Sabin was harshly penalised for a clash with Alex John-Baptiste, Bobby Hassell swung the free kick into the Northampton area.

Larkin's shot was blocked but Curtis was quickly on to the rebound, which he lashed past Lee Harper.

In the shoot-out Pilkington pushed Sabin's spot-kick wide of the upright to set the scene for Larkin, who held his nerve to beat Harper.

---

Mansfield: Pilkington, Hassell, Eaton, Baptiste, Day, Corden, Williamson (MacKenzie 120), Curtis, Disley (Larkin 55), Lawrence, Mendes (D'Jaffo 74).
Subs Not Used: Coates, Artell.
Booked: Day, Curtis, Mendes, Disley, D'Jaffo.

Northampton: Harper, Willmott, Sampson, Reid, Ullathorne, Hargreaves, Trollope, Low (Taylor 117), Smith, Sabin, Richards (Asamoah 76), Asamoah (Reeves 118).
Subs Not Used: Thompson, Chambers.
Booked: Ullathorne, Low, Sabin, Smith.

Attendance: 9,243.

Referee: P Crossley (Kent).