Content Curle happy with Cobblers display in Mansfield draw

Mal Benning punctured Town's strong start by scoring direct from a corner just 12 minutes in but the hosts fought back for their 18th draw of the campaign thanks to Sam Foley, who headed in Scott Pollock's corner.

A point was the least the Cobblers deserved after they matched the high-flying Stags, who remain in the automatic promotion spots in League Two despite dropping two points at the PTS.

"The result is obviously important but what's also important is the level of performance and I thought it was very good today," said Curle.

"I thought we played on the front and we matched them. The challenge for the changing room was to go up against a team second in league, who are there on merit, and the players had to accept that challenge, enjoy it and go and face it head on. We did that, individually and collectively."

Once again set-pieces formed Northampton's main threat and it cam as no surprise when Foley headed in Pollock's excellent delivery midway through the second-half.

Curle added: "We try to have variation in our set-pieces because we are a threat from them, not only with the movement and the creativity of the movement but also the quality of delivery, whether that's Scott Pollock or David Buchanan.

"We've also got other options to take corners and we have a good understanding of where we need the ball to be delivered and then we need the desire and application to get on the end of it.

"Sometimes it's about keeping the ball alive and sometimes it's about having a chance at goal and taking it. We did that today."