Port Vale 3-0 Northampton
- Published
Port Vale climbed into the League Two play-off places with a convincing win over Northampton Town.
Vale took the lead, and set a new club record of scoring in the first 16 games of a season, when Tom Pope headed in Doug Loft's corner from four yards.
Anthony Griffith rifled in the second from 35 yards, before John McCombe prodded in the third from close range.
Lewis Young fired over for Northampton with the goal gaping, while Kelvin Langmead hit the post late on.
Vale's victory, their first over the Cobblers in seven meetings, thanks to three goals inside the first half hour, lifted them to sixth in the League Two table.
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Port Vale manager Micky Adams told BBC Radio Stoke:
Port Vale set standards - Adams
"I'm delighted with that. We set standards in the first half. That's as good as we've played.
"Everything about the performance was special, not only the goals.
"People have called us one-dimensional and I think we've proved that we're not."
Northampton Town boss Gary Johnson told BBC Radio Northampton:
We need more leaders - Johnson
"We were poor in the first half - quite weak. In the second half we had to save our reputations.
"The club has to keep going. We haven't enjoyed that performance today.
"Anything I say now will be ripped apart because we got beat. We've got to keep searching and keep looking for that formula. We lack that winning mentality."