Curle not worried by Cobblers' 'mental strength' after they lose another lead at Oldham

This was the third time since mid-September that Town have taken a 2-0 lead and failed to see it out, conceding equalisers in the 89th, 93rd and 95th minutes against Crawley Town, Morecambe and now Oldham.

That alone is enough to leave supporters frustrated but what really stings is the fact that, had they managed to hold on to all three points each time, the Cobblers would currently be sitting pretty at the top of the table, level on points with Forest Green Rovers.

It must be said, though, that Saturday's most recent 2-2 draw owed more to ill-fortune than anything else. Whereas against Crawley and Morecambe you could point to questionable game management, at Boundary Park Town were cruising until they were undone by one long ball and a deflected cross.

But the outcome was the same and questions will inevitably be asked about Cobblers' mental strength. Manager Keith Curle, though, is having none of it.

He said: "Sam (Hoskins) is defending against the lad and he's done well all afternoon but he goes to put a ball in the box, we've got four lads covering it and the goalkeeper set in the right position.

"But it takes a deflection and loops over the goalkeeper's head and takes it into the corner. Is that about mental strength? No. It's a freak goal.

"It could go anywhere. Another millimetre off Sam's knee and it goes for a corner or he blocks it. Another millimetre the other way and it lands in Dai's hands."

If there was one thing that Curle could criticise his players for, it was Oldham's first goal as Jordan Turnbull's miscued header was seized upon by Scott Wilson, who handed the Latics a lifeline.

"It's the first goal that was disappointing for me because we get the second goal and then we don't put enough pressure on the ball," Curle added.

"It's a mistimed header and we don't stay with runners in and around the box and the lad has a snapshot.

"But again, is that about mental strength? No. It's about being attuned to what's required.

"It doesn't change if you're 1-0 up, 2-0 up or 3-0 up, your basics have still got to be in place and that's something we're trying to spread throughout the group."