Boss Hasselbaink believes Cobblers 'were the better team' in Posh defeat

Northampton did indeed make a bright start but that was brought to an abrupt halt when Jack Baldwin and Jack Marriott scored twice in two minutes, both from poorly defended set-pieces, to put Peterborough in command.

Chances then dried up for the visitors who created little of note in the second-half before succumbing to yet another defeat. Town's winless run now stands at nine games and they will likely need at least four victories from their final five games to stay up.

"The result is very disappointing but I think we played really well as crazy as it sounds," insisted Hasselbaink after Monday's loss. "We were really bright, we created chances and we were the better team.

"But they scored during our best spell and when we were on top and that's the killer for us.

"The goals were from two long balls and you're going to ask me how but I don't have an answer on that because it's just the simple thing to defend and that's the spell we're in now.

"We created magnificent chances, we won the ball back in their half and we were on the front foot, but that's why we are where we are because we don't kill teams off and it's tough at the moment, very tough."

Chris Long and Matt Crooks were both guilty of spurning early chances as Peterborough goalkeeper Conor O'Malley kept them at bay before Sam Foley hit the post midway through the second-half.

"The early goal would have settled us down," added Hasselbaink. "They didn't know what hit them.

"Steve Evans was screaming on the sidelines and it was a panic kind of screaming and as a manager you want that goal to come now because now you are on top and you want to keep encouraging them to keep going.

"But two long balls we needed to defend better because that's your bread and butter and if we're going to do that, it'll minimise our chances."

Hasselbaink also confirmed that Northampton will appeal Ash Taylor's red card.