Curle reveals the irony behind Cobblers' play-off success

Somewhere in a parallel universe, Keith Curle is celebrating promotion from League Two - but not in his current role as Cobblers manager.

Following Monday's superb 4-0 victory over Exeter City in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, Curle explained how Town's promotion win was accompanied by a touch of irony.

The 56-year-old revealed that, in the summer of 2018, just months before taking charge Northampton, he applied for the manager's job at both Exeter City and Cheltenham Town, the two teams that were emphatically brushed aside by the Cobblers en route to play-off glory.

The Grecians opted instead for Matt Taylor, defeated in Monday's one-sided final, while the Robins took a gamble on Burnely U23 coach Michael Duff, who admitted his side were 'beaten up' by Northampton as they surrendered a 2-0 lead in the play-off semi-final.

A few weeks later, Curle rocked up at Sixfields and the rest, as they say, is history.

Asked about winning promotion with the Cobblers, Curle said: "It's not the time to talk about individuals. I'm a football manager and I want to win games of football and I want to be successful.

"That was part of the conversation I had with the chairman when I first came to the club and I told him that I need a promotion and I need to join a club where I can go on a journey.

"Ironically, during that same summer, I went for an interview with Cheltenham and I also applied for the Exeter job.

"I didn't get an interview with Exeter as they had already made their decision. At Cheltenham, I did get an interview but they decided to go down another route. Those teams gave us good games in the play-offs

"But when I spoke to the chairman at this club, I believed it was right. He knew we had to reshape and refinance the club and we also needed to get hunger, desire, organisation and belief into that changing room and I told him I'll do that."