Northampton Town boss pours scorn on Blackpool 'excuse' after defeat to high-flying Portsmouth

Portsmouth returned to the top of the League One table with a win over Northampton Town at the weekend as many rivals featured in FA Cup action. The 3-0 victory ended a decent run of form for the Cobblers, who refused to make excuses for the loss following the match.

Here's your Monday morning League One round-up.

Northampton Town boss refuses to make Blackpool 'excuse' for Pompey defeat

Northampton Town manager Jon Brady has refused to make the obvious 'excuse' as to why his side suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Portsmouth at the weekend.

A Sean Raggett header and Paddy Lane brace sunk the Cobblers, who had made a long trip to Blackpool earlier that week and put in a huge performance to take three points.

Asked if fatigue could be why his side didn't get a result against John Mousinho's men, Brady said: "Blackpool made that excuse after playing us in the week and I don't want to use it as an excuse for us today. If we did the basics better and weren't so naive in key moments, it might have been different. I don't want to blame fatigue or anything because I felt we could have given them a better game. They are top for a reason and that's because they constantly and consistently do the basics right.”

Bolton scout rising star to keep title challenge strong

League One title challengers Bolton Wanderers have been linked with a January move for promising Bromley teenager Ben Krauhaus in a bid to extend their fine run of form into the second half of the campaign. TEAMtalk reports that the Rams have been watching the midfielder at the National League side this season, alongside Cardiff City, Swansea City, Millwall and League One rivals Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic.

A January move seems likely for the highly-rated 19-year-old, who is out of contract next summer and could depart for free if not in the New Year. The versatile Krauhaus is touted as the next big thing but could need easing into action in League One as he makes the step up from the National League.

Reading boss foregoes pay as financial woes continue

League One strugglers Reading appeared to be close to financial relief with news of a takeover nearing a deal but the outfit continues to struggle as manager Ruben Selles admitted forfeiting his own wages this week. The former Southampton manager and head of football operations Mark Bowen have foregone pay to ensure staff at the club are paid. Reading prioritised paying players over staff to avoid another points deduction with employees only receiving 50% of their monthly wage.

Bowen said: “There was not enough funding coming into the club this month to pay the wages in full. Unfortunately the CEO made the decision to pay the players fully and only partially the staff because of the financial situation of the club. Strategically, we can understand because we don’t get a points deduction but the human and moral things, we know it’s not the correct thing to do but it’s not my call and myself and the staff don’t get what they deserve for the hard work they put in.”