Date: 8 May 1993
Location: Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury
Attendance: 6,612
On a tense spring afternoon in May 1993, Northampton Town pulled off one of the most dramatic escapes in their history — a comeback victory over Shrewsbury Town that not only stunned the home crowd but also secured the Cobblers’ survival in Division Three.
The odds were firmly stacked against them. Sitting precariously near the bottom of the table, Northampton knew only a win would do — and even then, their fate partly lay in the hands of other results.
The game couldn’t have started much worse for the Cobblers. Shrewsbury were two goals to the good within the first half hour. Lynch opened the scoring in the 24th minute, turning in a precise Smith free kick, before a defensive error from Angus gifted Griffiths a chance to make it 2–0 — which he duly took.
But what followed was a second-half turnaround that would go down in club folklore.
Leading by example on his 250th League appearance, Phil Chard began the fightback in the 51st minute, capitalizing on a poor back pass from Turner to slot past Edwards. Belief surged through the Cobblers’ ranks.
In the 72nd minute, substitute Gavin leveled the score, seizing on a miskicked clearance by Turner after a dangerous cross from Wilkin. But Northampton weren’t finished.
With just six minutes left on the clock, Gavin struck again — this time charging down a panicked clearance from the Shrewsbury keeper and bundling the ball into the net to complete a stunning comeback.
The final whistle brought scenes of joy and relief. Northampton Town had done enough. Although Hereford’s 1–0 win over Halifax meant heartbreak for the Shaymen, the Cobblers had pulled off their great escape — avoiding the drop with grit, determination, and a bit of late drama.
Statistically, Northampton dominated: 8 shots to Shrewsbury’s 4, and 7 corners to the home side’s 3. Even the bookings — Chard and Terry — reflected a team that refused to go down without a fight.
Over three decades on, that afternoon at Gay Meadow remains a defining moment for Northampton Town — a reminder that even in football’s darkest hours, belief can change everything.