Players and staff hold 'honest conversations' as Leonard admits 'it's not good enough' after Cobblers' troubles deepen

There were some ‘honest conversations’ held between players and staff after Cobblers’ winless run stretched to four games with Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Grimsby Town.

Whilst not at their best, Northampton were seemingly in control with 16 minutes to play courtesy of Sam Hoskins’ first-half opener, but it all went wrong as late headers from Luke Waterfall and Anthony Glennon increased the frustration levels all around Sixfields – and not just in the stands.

Understandably, midfielder Marc Leonard did not want to divulge exactly what was said in the changing room afterwards but both players and staff were given an opportunity to air their grievances as Town’s season threatens to unravel.

"We already spoke about it in the changing room,” said Leonard. “It's something we tend to do – to get it out in the open as soon as we can. We should have won, there's no excuse for what happened in the last 20 minutes, and we are all big enough and old enough to have those honest conversations with each other.

"That's what needs to happen. We have to be honest and as players and as staff, we have to look at ourselves and ask – are we doing everything we possibly can to win games? I'm sure that will happen.”

It was hardly vintage stuff from the Cobblers on Saturday but an ugly 1-0 win would have been a timely boost to their faltering promotion challenge. Instead, a poor final 20 minutes could prove very costly.

“You can’t allow their best header of the ball a free header in our box,” Leonard added. “It's so frustrating and it's pretty simple. We were in control and we have to stay on top of the game and go and make it two or three and not allow those chances to happen.

“It's disappointing because we know we are so much better than that and at the start of the season, that ball gets cleared out of the box or it doesn't even get to that point.

"We know ourselves that it wasn't good enough. We were in total control of the game for the majority of it but two moments have cost us. Even with the injuries we have, we should be winning that game."