Northampton Town 2-2 Bristol Rovers

Image source, PA

Image caption, Northampton were in financial difficulty earlier this season

Northampton Town secured promotion to League One despite being held to a draw by Bristol Rovers at Sixfields.

Nicky Adams headed the hosts into an early lead before Sam Hoskins side-footed in a second after the break.

Matt Taylor's header and Ellis Harrison's low effort saw Rovers fight back to earn a point to boost their own hopes of automatic promotion.

But the Cobblers, who faced a petition for administration earlier this season, are guaranteed a top-three spot.

They have lost only once in the league since Kelvin Thomas's takeover of the club in November.

Image source, PA

Image caption, Northampton fans ran onto the pitch at the final whistle

Fifth-placed Plymouth's loss to AFC Wimbledon meant this season will be the end of Northampton's seven-year spell in the fourth tier of English football, following

The Cobblers, who only escaped relegation to non-league on the final day of the 2014 season, are now 12 points clear at the top with five games remaining.

Rovers now lie fourth, two points behind third-placed Accrington.

The attendance of 7,579 was the largest ever recorded at Sixfields and Northampton's biggest for a league game since 1987.

Northampton skipper Marc Richards will miss the end of season run-in as he is to undergo an Achilles operation next week.

Image source, Twitter

Image caption, Northamptonshire cricket captain Alex Wakely congratulates the Cobblers