Apologetic Curle explains why he gave Mitchell a 'tongue-lashing' after Burton's late consolation

It was probably for the best that no supporters were present inside the Pirelli Stadium as Saturday's League One encounter between Burton Albion and Northampton Town entered the final stages.

The Cobblers were leading 3-0 after an excellent away performance but you wouldn't have guessed from Keith Curle's body language on the touchline. His side had just conceded the cheapest of stoppage-time penalties and whilst it didn't jeopardise the result, it did scupper a rare and much-needed clean sheet.

Curle, ever the perfectionist, was furious, thumping the advertising boards in frustration before letting out a string of expletives well within earshot of the nearby press box. He was not even particularly angry with the culprit, despite Fraser Horsfall's needless handball, as goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell instead bore the brunt.

"The disappointing thing was their goal," admitted Curle. "People within the game will understand that I have a reputation for not liking goalkeepers but I love goalkeepers - when they do what they should be doing.

"When they don't, I fall out with goalkeepers very quickly because I think the game is very simple when you can see the whole pitch. But it's a learning curve for Mitch because we've won 3-1 and yet we've gone in the changing room and I've given him a tongue-lashing."

On Mitchell's part in the goal, Curle explained: "I wanted him to kick the ball in an area where we are, not down the middle of the pitch. But he'll take the criticism, he'll learn from it and he'll move on, which is excellent because when somebody does something you don't want them to do, you've got to let them know.

"I accept I probably did go a little bit over the top and I did apologise for my choice of language even though there weren't any supporters in the ground, but I do get frustrated because I wanted a clean sheet and I wanted an away performance where we scored goals and kept the ball out of our net.

"It was so simple. Just kick the ball down one side of the pitch, not down the middle where we haven't got anybody, and that's the starting point and an invitation for them to get on the attack. When I was a defender, I wanted to know the area I was defending in because that makes it easier and the smaller the area, the easier it is.

"But if you kick the ball down the middle of the pitch, automatically you're open and you're exposed so I would have told him had I been a player as well!"

Nonetheless, the late penalty did not remove any of the gloss from a terrific away win. It has been clear for a while now, going way back to the middle of last season, that the Cobblers play better football and look a more accomplished team on the road. This performance only confirmed it.

Curle made some big decisions for this game, recalling Shaun McWilliams and Mark Marshall to the side and handing a first league start to teenage striker Caleb Chukwuemeka. He also tweaked the shape as Chukwuemeka played alongside Ricky Holmes behind sole striker Harry Smith in a 3-4-2-1.

"It might have looked negative because we haven't been scoring goals and yet we only went with one up front, but it's about giving us a platform and a shape," said Curle.

'It was a good performance and everything was about creating the mindset and the mentality that we had to perform and we had to have a solid foundation and work for each other.

Out of possession, we had to get our shape right and go hunting the ball together. We couldn't go individually, we had to go as a team.

"That's now our starting point because we've set some good standards for ourselves, but the priority is always the next game. We'll watch the game back but then we'll get straight on with preparing, recouperating and working on a plan for the game on Tuesday."