Pompey could not end the League Two season as they began it - with a win in the Fratton Patk sunshine.

Champions Northampton gave some idea of why they have done so well this season against a much-changed Blues team who had their moments but were not clinical enough.

Paul Cook's team ended up with only 10 men on the pitch - Kieron Freeman seeing red early in the second half - and only one of them was a recognised defender as the manager gambled to try to get the win that would have seen Pompey finish fifth.

As it is a 2-1 defeat means they end sixth and will host Plymouth in the play-off semi-final first leg on Thursday before travelling to Home Park on Sunday for the decider.

Before the game Ben Davies picked up six player-of-the-year awards while Michael Doyle was a popular winner of The News/Sports Mail prize.

Among those handed a start against the Cobblers, who were given a guard of honour before the game, was Jack Whatmough and it was he who was first on the scoresheet, the only problem being that it was at the wrong end,. The defender turned a right-sided cross past Brian Murphy as he slid in at the near Fratton end post to try to concede a corner.

Naismith and Gary Roberts were at the centre of most of Pompey's best attacking play in the first half and there was some clever use of the ball by Ben Close in midfield, although Freeman looked out of place alongside him.

Roberts had a good opportunity to equalise in front of the 2,000-plus Northampton fans shortly before the break but his attempted chip over the keeper after he ran on to Close's pass did not have enough on it.

Freeman was ordered off in the early stages of the second half for a lunging foul on John-Joe O'Toole but within a minute Pompey were level through one of their goals of the season. Naismith found space for a shot but he was more than 30 yards out and it looked ambitious - but his effort dipped over keeper Adam Smith and flew into the top corner to send the crowd into raptures.

For a while Pompey were on the front foot and looked like they might prosper despite being a man down.

Adam May and Conor Wilkinson came on for Close and Whatmough and when a second defender - Brnadon Haunstrup - came off with 13 minutes left, it left Ben Davies as the side's only out-and-out defender.

Northampton retook the lead with nine minutes left as sub James Collins touched in David Buchanan's cross from the left and Pompey's best chance of saving a point came from another long-range Naismith effort which Smith got across to hold.

Pompey: Murphy; Davies, Whatmough (Wilkinson 69), Barton, Haunstrup (Tollitt 77); Freeman, Close (May 60), Evans; McGurk, Roberts, Naismith. Subs not used: Jones, Stevens, Doyle, Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Referee: Mark Brown

Attendance: 18,746 (2,807 away fans)

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