Cobblers pocket £250,000 FA Cup bonus after Cardiff beat Carlisle in third-round replay

That's because, as the sole remaining Sky Bet League Two club left in the competition, Northampton have added to their prize fund earned from this season's run to the fourth-round to the tune of a quarter of a million pounds.

Why? Well, last season the EFL and The FA announced an agreement whereby a new £250,000 'progress prize' would be made to the EFL club that goes furthest in the FA Cup from each division.

That remains the case this season so the last team remaining from the Championship, League One and League Two all stand to pick up a bonus prize of £250,000.

The £750,00 total has partly been made available from the proceeds of The FA’s new international broadcasting agreements.

Cobblers were one of two League Two sides still in the competition before tonight's third-round replays but Cardiff's thrilling 4-3 victory at Brunton Park saw rivals Carlisle knocked out, meaning Northampton are now the lowest-ranked team left.

The Cobblers had already banked over £350,000 in prize money and broadcast fees from their run to the fourth-round this season but that figure has now swelled further, and there's still potential for more.

Town host Derby County in the fourth-round next Friday where victory would be worth £180,000.

But, as manager Keith Curle discussed earlier in the season, that money will not necessarily go straight into the transfer kitty.

"Anything we get financially in the FA Cup is a bonus and that shows good infrastructure behind the scenes because we've got a budget and we'll try to adhere to it as closely as possible," said Curle.

"We also know that anything else we earn, we'll use a portion of it towards the football club if we're able to do that.

"There's other necessities and other things within the club that we're trying to put in place that do cost money - it's not all about getting a pot of money to get better players in.

"Sometimes it's about having the infrastructure in place and maintaining that infrastructure for longevity."