Skipper Langmead to the rescue again as Cobblers snatch crucial point at Morecambe

With just two minutes remaining the Cobblers skipper diverted the ball into the unguarded net after Ishmel Demontagnac’s free-kick had struck the post.

It was the fourth time the visitors had hit the woodwork on a night where it looked like their luck was out, both in their own game and in league two fixtures elsewhere.

A win for Burton Albion - who are now second - made avoiding a 10th away defeat of the season more important for Aidy Boothroyd’s men.

They did not look like achieving that feat when Jack Redshaw gave the home side the lead on the hour mark, but Langmead - his status among the supporters growing with every game - had other ideas.

Redshaw was a lively force all night and drew a good save from Lee Nicholls after six minutes after Kevin Ellison had drifted inside from his wing to find space and pick a pass behind the Town defence.

The goalkeeper had to be on his toes again 10 minutes later when a right-wing cross was deflected goalward by the bandaged head of Langmead, who had sustained a cut when challenging for a Ben Tozer throw at the other end.

Joe Widdowson, operating as a wing-back on the left side then won a free-kick that Chris Hackett bent low through the crowd of players and onto the foot of Andreas Arestidou’s left-hand post before being cleared to safety.

Langmead then did likewise with an exquisite shot that curled towards the target as though it had been struck by a Brazilian midfielder and not a central defender from Coventry.

Demontagnac, who had a lively evening, then forced Arestidou into a stretching save with a rifled effort from 25 yards after a Hackett free-kick had been cleared.

Town made it a hat-trick of efforts against the woodwork when Ben Harding curled an effort into the left-hand post and although the rebound fell to Demontagnac, his scuff over the bar was inconsequential as he was in an offside position.

Redshaw provided the breakthrough on 57 minutes, showing good feet in midfield before a wall pass with Lewis Alessandra that deflected into his path to sidefoot beyond Nicholls.

Arestidou had looked suspect on a couple of deep crosses into the box and could only parry at a shot taken early by O’Donovan as the visitors looked to mount a response.

From the resulting corner’s second phase, Redshaw led a counter-attack that was foiled by a gutsy last-ditch challenge from Demontagnac inside his own box.

Town spurned a great chance to equalise came when Hackett flighted a cross in that was cleared to O’Donovan, who lashed a volley into the stand when he had time to take a more measured approach.

It looked like a costly miss until Demontagnac bent a dead ball onto the post and Langmead, on the ground, and at full stretch, did the rest to add to his collection of late, important Cobblers goals.

Morecambe: Arestidou, Parrish, McCready, Haining, Fenton, Wright, Drummond, McDonald, Alessandra, Redshaw, Ellison

Subs: Threlfall (for Parrish 43), Holroyd (for Alessandra 77)

Not used: Jones, Williams, Burrow, Fleming, Mwasile

Cobblers: Nicholls, Johnson, Langmead, Carlisle, Collins, Widdowson, Hackett, Tozer, Harding, Demontagnac, O’Donovan

Subs: Akinfenwa (for Collins 64), Platt (for Johnson 78)

Not used: Snedker, Guttridge, Robinson, Hornby, Dias

Attendance: not provided

Away fans: not provided

Referee: Chris Sarginson