Blackpool to face Northampton Town in League One next season after Cobblers overcome Exeter City in play-off final

Keith Curle's men join Swindon Town, Crewe Alexandra and Plymouth Arglye in being promoted to the third tier of English football.

It follows a thumping win in front of an empty Wembley stadium on Monday night, inflicting more play-off final heartache on Exeter.

The Grecians, who were beaten by Blackpool in the showcase final in 2017, were also beaten by Coventry City at Wembley the following year.

Strikes from Ryan Watson, Callum Morton, Sam Hoskins and substitute Andy Williams earned the Cobblers a resounding win in the behind-closed-doors clash.

Victory for Northampton ended their two-year exile from the third tier, while earning manager Curle a maiden promotion of a managerial career which began in 2002.

The teams took to an immaculate-looking pitch 331 days after the start of the League Two season and on the day the cancelled Wimbledon tennis championships were scheduled to begin.

After British soprano Faryl Smith contributed to the surreal atmosphere by performing a pre-recorded national anthem on the big screens, the empty 90,000-seater stadium fell completely silent in memory of Theo Foley.

Irishman Foley, who died on Friday aged 83, had connections to both clubs, captaining and managing Northampton after beginning his professional career with Exeter.

Supporters, absent due to coronavirus restrictions, were partly replaced by a host of cardboard cut-outs, with NBA great Shaquille O'Neal and comedian Alan Carr among Northampton's celebrity backers and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and actor Adrian Edmondson in the Exeter end.

Town began brighter and took an 11th-minute lead with the game's first attempt at goal.

After Charlie Goode's long throw was partially cleared to the edge of the box, Watson calmly sidestepped City skipper Jake Taylor before his low left-footed strike took a slight deflection off Aaron Martin and flew into the bottom right corner.

Exeter had finished seven points above their opponents in the curtailed regular season but they were left with an uphill battle following static defending in the 31st minute.

Semi-final hero Morton, who scored twice as the Cobblers overturned a 2-0 aggregate deficit against Cheltenham, was left with a simple, close-range volley after Scott Wharton and Jordan Turnbull helped Goode's searching free-kick across goal.

Grecians boss Matt Taylor had been assistant to Paul Tisdale during Exeter's previous two play-off final losses.

He was left with his head in his hands following the second goal and his side would have been even further behind at the end of a below-par first-half display had goalkeeper Jonathan Maxted not kept out quickfire stoppage-time headers from Vadaine Oliver and Goode.

Exeter showed little sign of mounting a comeback and their task became even more difficult just before the hour mark when Moxey was shown a straight red card after foolishly sliding in on Watson from behind.

West Brom loanee Morton then wasted a chance to claim his second when he slotted wide when clean through, before Hoksins put the result beyond doubt by coolly slotting in 10 minutes from time after substitute Mark Marshall burst down the right and centred.

Exeter enjoyed more possession but mustered just one attempt on target in the entire contest and their suffering was complete a minute from time when veteran forward Williams hooked home with his first touch after another Goode long throw.

At the end of the game the Northampton players picked up the medals and champagne themselves for social-distancing reasons.