Northampton Town will be on Carlisle United's agenda again next season after the Cobblers' promotion hopes were crushed by Mansfield Town in the play-offs.

The Stags' 1-0 victory at the Sixfields Stadium last night earned a 3-1 aggregate win and a place in the Wembley final.

Stephen McLaughlin got the only goal to put Nigel Clough's side 90 minutes away from a place in League One.

They will take on Swindon Town or Port Vale, who meet at Vale Park in tonight's second leg with the Robins 2-1 up.

For Northampton it means more bitter disappointment after a campaign when they missed out on automatic promotion in unlikely fashion.

Bristol Rovers' 7-0 win over Scunthorpe United cost Jon Brady's side third place on the last day on goal difference.

And now they must face up to another campaign in the fourth tier.

For Carlisle, it will mean another trip to the PTS Academy Stadium, where last October they lost 3-0 in Keith Millen's first game in charge.

News and Star: United fans will return to Northampton next season (photo: Barbara Abbott)United fans will return to Northampton next season (photo: Barbara Abbott)

The return game against the Cobblers proved a memorable occasion at Brunton Park, where an 8,514 crowd watched Paul Simpson's side claim a dramatic 2-1 victory.

Brady, speaking on the Cobblers' website last night, said: "We gave it everything but unfortunately we just couldn't quite get ourselves over the line.

"The players gave it everything this season, we only missed out on automatic promotion by a whisker and we were only four points off top of the league.

"Hopefully we have delivered a team to the fans that they can be proud of and we will come back again."

Mansfield boss Clough said: "It was hard work, but an incredible effort by the players.

"I thought we were very good indeed in denying the opposition a lot of opportunities."

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