Curle believes zonal marking is the best system for Cobblers - as long as players do their jobs

Cobblers boss Keith Curle will continue to deploy a zonal marking system to defend set-pieces despite conceding a late winner against Plymouth Argyle last weekend.

Curle has preferred zonal marking to man marking during his time at Town but it came in for some criticism at the weekend when Kell Watts was left unmarked to head in a late winner.

Speaking after that game, Plymouth boss Ryan Lowe revealed he had specifically targeted corners as an area his side could potentially exploit. “We always knew we could get a goal from a set-piece today," said Lowe. "We had worked on it all week – they use zonal marking from corners against and we felt we could get at that."

Cobblers have also conceded set-piece goals to Bristol Rovers and Hull City this season, but Curle believes zonal marking is the best way to go - as long as his players do their jobs properly.

"We zonal mark but you've got to defend your zone, that's your responsibility, and then people outside of that have to make sure they stop players having that movement in the box - that's where we need to sharpen up," said Curle.

"Any goal that you concede, had a player done something different, you might have had a different outcome. There's arguments for and against. If you man mark, the opposition will take your best headers of the ball away from the area where they want contact.

"I think last season we had a strong aerial threat in both boxes. This season, size-wise, we're not as big as we were last season but new players are coming in and understanding their roles within zonal marking.

"There are merits for it and there are arguments both ways but the three corners before the goal (against Plymouth), Cian Bolger is in the right area and the right zone where they're trying to attack and he headed all three clear.

"On the last one, if people outside the zone marking or in front of it do their jobs, the lad doesn't get around the back and the ball bounces over the top and goes out for a goal-kick."