Curle: One game doesn't make you a winner - there's still better to come from Cobblers (includes highlights)

Manager Keith Curle knows Saturday's 2-0 victory over Salford City needs to be just the start for Cobblers this season and not a flash in the pan.
Keith Curle in conversation with David Kelly. Picture: Pete NortonKeith Curle in conversation with David Kelly. Picture: Pete Norton
Keith Curle in conversation with David Kelly. Picture: Pete Norton

It wouldn't be the first time Town have battled to a hard-fought but well-deserved victory and then immediately followed it up with a poor performance and defeat next time out.

Three points were handed to them on Saturday by Sam Hoskins - from the penalty spot - in the first-half and then Jordan Turnbull - via a set-piece - in the second, stopping the rot of four games without victory and lifting them back up to 15th in League Two.

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But Curle accepts his side must ensure the performance, whilst by no means free-flowing, is the benchmark from which their standards do not drop ahead of a big week.

"In terms of the performance, there's still more to come and there's still better to come," he said.

"I spoke to the players afterwards and the feeling in the changing room has been completely different and it's one you like compared to last week but that doesn't make you a winner.

"The honesty that's been in the meetings and the discussions we've had and the levels of training we've had, things like that give you a better opportunity of becoming a winner more often.

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"I said to the players, the mindset and the focus has got to be exactly the same. OK, we've beaten Salford but there's a challenge on Tuesday and we go there with the same mindset.

"If the mindset is good and the mentality is good, we have players that can win us games and score goals and we've got players who can defend our goal very well."

Defender Turnbull, on target with his fourth of the season against Salford, shared a similar viewpoint to his manager.

"One result, like today, means nothing if we don't go to Carlisle on Tuesday and get some points," he admitted.

"We've got a busy week and there's a possible nine points available and we're aiming for all those points to propel us back up the table because we're too low for where we want to be at the moment."