Brady believes Pinnock's late leveller could be a 'key moment' in Cobblers' season

Cobblers boss Jon Brady believes Mitch Pinnock's last-gasp leveller against Forest Green Rovers could and should be a catalyst for the rest of the season.

Town's form had slumped after returning from a COVID-enforced three-week break and they were seconds away from a third successive defeat at Sixfields on Saturday when the clocked ticked over to 95 minutes.

However, Pinnock had other ideas as he sweetly fired a first-time shot into the bottom corner to rescue a dramatic and important point.

"To have that setback and for the players to have that focus and determination not to lose is extremely pleasing," said Brady.

"We didn't give in, we kept working until the final kick of the game and the way in which it happened made it quite euphoric and that could be a key moment for us.

"It should be a key moment because we had everything against us and we turned it into a positive.

"The way we played and the tempo and the energy we gave to the game and Forest Green added to that as well, I felt we were back to our normal energy levels.

"It's very difficult to go through a 21-day period where you're half in training, half out of training because there was no momentum and we were very rusty.

"It does take time and that's why teams have a six-week pre-season. We had three weeks out but we looked back to our sharpest and that really pleased me.

"What was also extremely pleasing was to come back the way we did after the setback of their goal because a lot of teams and players would have gone under."

Although it was only worth a solitary point, to Brady it felt like a win.

He added: "Psychologically, it could have been a tough blow to suffer three losses on the trot but I don't think I would have counted that as a defeat!

"I'll probably count that as a win. I know it doesn't go down as three points but in my strange mind, I'll count that as a win because to be 1-0 down through a wrong decision and come back and not give in and score an equaliser so late on , that's a win in anyone's book, isn't it?

"It might not be three points but you have to enjoy those moments because the team kept fighting and kept going."

Brady was also grateful for the support his side received, adding: "Even though we were 1-0 down, I felt the fans were really in strong voice and they didn't give up on us.

"They didn't give up because they could see the effort from us and I think that's what they need to see because they feed off the energy that we give on the pitch and we feed off their energy.

"It works both ways and long may that continue because they will so important for us. We know how good our support is, home and away, and I'm really proud of them."