Blackpool moved to within a point of the League One play-offs with a 1-0 victory at Northampton on Tuesday.

Matt Pennington’s scrappy second-half strike was the difference as the Seasiders closed the gap on the teams above them.

The Cobblers were first to threaten at Sixfields when Kieron Bowie set his sights from the edge of the box but his shot was straight down the throat of Dan Grimshaw.

Chances were at a premium in the first half but Blackpool thought they had opened the scoring through Marvin Ekpiteta, whose effort hit the underside of the crossbar and seemingly bounced over the line only for the officials not to award a goal.

Pennington headed another chance over for the visitors but it was not until the second half when the game opened up.

After Jordan Rhodes shot into the side-netting, Blackpool made the breakthrough 10 minutes after the restart when Karamoko Dembele’s free-kick led to an almighty scramble in the box with Pennington stabbing in the loose ball.

Northampton had struggled to create anything of note all game and that continued after the goal, with the visitors comfortably seeing out victory.

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley was delighted to have kept a clean sheet after his side secured their third League One win in four matches with a 2-0 victory at Shrewsbury.

The hosts’ best chance of the game came just before the 20-minute mark when Tom Bloxham’s first-time cross found Dan Udoh in the box but his diving header was kept out by goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw.

The Tangerines broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute when Hayden Coulson cut the ball across goal for Karamoko Dembele, who fired in at the back post.

Blackpool doubled their advantage with just six minutes remaining when Dembele’s cross found the unmarked Coulson in the box and he headed home.

Critchley said: “I felt we played with more belief in who we want to be, passed the ball better, controlled the game from the back better, built the play and that allowed us to build confidence in the game and get control of the game.

“We have won the game with two moments of quality and we have limited the home team to little and it was nice to keep a clean sheet.

“Even though we were comfortable and they didn’t look like scoring, we know it just takes one moment and they are dangerous at set pieces so it was nice to get the second goal and both goals came at a good time for us.

“He (Dembele) is a brilliant footballer I love watching him play as the supporters do. He is exciting, he does something different and is something different in this league.

“He is really courageous, he takes the ball in any area of the pitch, he backs himself.”

Shrewsbury head coach Paul Hurst had mixed emotions.

He said: “We were beaten by a better team with very good players but there wasn’t much in the game.

“I feel the goal knocks us, it looks like it takes belief out of some of the players which I am not accepting of.

“I have said the fans here are great, they keep behind the players. I said it when I was here last time, it is kind of a nice place to play for a home player.

“I’m sure there will be an odd comment which you are bound to get but they don’t get on your back so that shouldn’t knock confidence.

“I don’t feel we committed to everything in the game and that maybe is summed up with Dan’s (Udoh) chance – which I know was offside – which he heads and the keeper tips it over.

“They can’t have a ball in the box from a corner and their player swing and misses it and it bounces and they still get the next touch to the ball, that is impossible.”

Goals from Karamoko Dembele and Hayden Coulson secured Blackpool a 2-0 victory at Shrewsbury to keep their League One play-off hopes alive.

Just before the 20-minute mark, Tom Bloxham sent a first-time cross into the box for Shrewsbury, which found Dan Udoh but his diving header was kept out by Dan Grimshaw.

Blackpool was awarded a free-kick in the 40th minute, which reached George Byers on the edge of the box. His headed effort looped over the Shrewsbury backline but it found the hands of Harry Burgoyne.

Three minutes later, the Tangerines opened the scoring after Coulson received a pass in the box and cut the ball across goal for Dembele, who fired past Burgoyne at the back post.

Shrewsbury went close just before the hour mark when Udoh sent a low cross into Jordan Shipley, who fired over from just inside the box.

Blackpool doubled their advantage in the 84th minute when Dembele’s cross found an unmarked Coulson in the box and he headed home.