Hasselbaink: One more push

Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has called for one last effort from his players to secure the League Two title.

The Brewers remain two points clear of Shrewsbury after a 3-1 win that ended Northampton's slender play-off hopes. And the Dutchman made it clear he would be disappointed if Burton let the championship crown slip through their grasp at Cambridge on the final day of the season. Hasselbaink said: "A lot of supporters are probably satisfied that we are going up, but I want it to be as champions. We've showed great character to get where we are and I expect more of the same at to see the job through." Former Burton old boy Zander Diamond had the misfortune to put through his own net inside the first four minutes to set the tone for poor first-half display by the visitors. Slack marking allowed Phil Edwards to slot in the home team's second in the 31st minute and Lucas Akins added the third from the penalty spot four minutes before the break. Lawson D'Ath reduced the deficit with a stunning 15-yard volley in the 54th minute, but Hasselbaink was content his side secured victory without further alarm. He said: "The first-half performance was very good. We were out of the blocks very quick and looked really sharp. "But when you go in at three-nil, it's always difficult to come out and replicate the performance. "They had nothing to lose, they made changes to their team for the second half and went more direct to put us on the back foot. "You have to give them credit for that, but we got back to understanding what they were doing. "I didn't think we were ever in trouble after that and I must give my players credit for finishing the game of very professionally." Northampton's second-half fightback was scant consolation to Chris Wilder. The Cobblers boss said: "In the first 45 minutes they were so much better than us and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb because of individual mistakes. "They didn't need a handout but we still gave them one in the first few minutes. "From then on they were quicker, stronger and better than that all over the pitch. "We made a couple of changes at half-time that I thought made is a lot, lot better and we gave them a game. "But we should have been doing that from the off. We got steamrollered in the first half and conceded three poor goals from our point of view. "We got a reaction in the second half which we needed for the sake of our supporters because the first half was an embarrassment. "We pushed them back and asked them a few questions, but at three-nil up they'd already won the game."