Curle admits Cobblers are having to play a different way at home due to the pitch

Cobblers boss Keith Curle admits his side are having to slightly alter their approach for home matches this season due to the state of the pitch at the PTS Academy Stadium.

Town have enjoyed their travels of late with victories at Burton Albion and Wigan Athletic, and it would have been three wins in a row but for Rochdale's late equaliser last Tuesday.

However, in contrast to last season when they boasted one of League Two's strongest home records, Curle's men are struggling at the PTS. That might have something to do with the empty stands but the pitch, which Town train on most days, is also undoubtedly having an impact.

The Cobblers have just five points and one victory from seven league matches this season, a record that is better than only Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers in League One.

"Against Rochdale, we were going to a team where we knew they would have a lot of the ball on a consistent playing surface so we were aware that we would have to be organised," said Curle when looking ahead to Tuesday's visit of Fleetwood Town.

"But it's a different gameplan at home because there will be misplaced passes, there will be bobbles and there is unevenness in the pitch that can sometimes unsettle the opposition and we've got to play on that.

"Is it a game to be rolling the ball around at the back and in midfield? No, I don't think it is. It will probably be more a game of making sure we get territorial advantage and we keep putting the ball forward as many times as we can."

Asked whether his side are still trying to work out their most effective way of playing at home, Curle said: "Yes and no. I think, away from home, and at home where the onus is on us to be more of an attacking team, we are.

"What I think we've done very well away from home is set our stall out and be solid but we also need to be more solid at home and pick up points both home and away because it's easier to take that next step to a win from a draw."

Cobblers have so far collected just one point from seven matches against teams in the current top half of League One ahead of Tuesday's game against seventh-placed and in-form Fleetwood Town.

"We're adjusting to a new division and we're finding about the merits of this division and formulating our plan," Curle added. "We had a style of play that we adopted for League Two but we needed to modify it slightly for this division.

"But the work ethic, ability, willingness, application, all of those things are still in the changing room and now it's about the final details that we need to hone in on and polish up on and that's both attacking and defending."