Curle reveals the secret behind spectacular comeback win - reaction and highlights
'Whatever you want to do in life, you need to believe you can do it first and foremost.'
Cobblers boss Keith Curle has revealed the secret that sparked his side's stunning comeback win against Cheltenham Town in the League Two play-off semi-finals on Monday.
The odds were stacked against Town after losing 2-0 at home last Thursday, however they produced a magnificent team performance at Whaddon Road to romp to a 3-0 victory, sealing their spot in next Monday's Wembley final.
Vadaine Oliver's ninth-minute opener was the perfect start and Cobblers never looked back with Callum Morton scoring twice in the second-half to complete a famous turnaround.
Asked afterwards what triggered such an incredible comeback following the disappointment of the first leg, Curle revealed that he showed his players clips from Arsenal's title-winning 2-0 victory at Liverpool in 1989.
"It's all been about positivity," said Curle. "We did a video analysis after the first leg and I think all of the players thought we would show them clips of the game back again, but we didn't.
"We showed them a clip of a documentary when Arsenal had to go to Anfield and win 2-0 to win the title. Some of the commentary and the honesty from that was excellent because it's certainly not an easy thing to do to go to Anfield and score two goals!
"It resonated with me and I wanted to pass that onto the players because if you believe, something special can happen. We had a plan, we spoke about our plan and the first goal was vitally important.
"When we would score it, I didn't know. But our plan was to get the first goal knowing that it can have an impact on the opposition - at Northampton we know all too well that a 2-0 lead is not always a safe one! Supporters certainly don't go home.
"The first goal was so important and the attitude, the application and the focus of the players were all very good. Alex (Latimer) the analyst has worked extremely hard and we've gone through so many clips because it's about belief and understanding what you can do.
"Whatever you want to do in life, whatever you need to do, you need to believe you can do it first and foremost and that was the message to the players before they went out - if you believe, you're one step closer to doing what you want to do."