”We deserved to win” – Accrington boss Coleman

The only goal of the game came from the head of Marc Richards, his 14th of the season, as the Cobblers returned to winning ways with a hard-fought victory.

But they were grateful for keeper Adam Smith who was repeatedly on hand to thwart the visitors with Billy Kee, Sean McConville and Josh Windass all denied by fine stops by the former Leicester man.

Coleman said afterwards: “That was just like the Plymouth game but we can’t get carried away with praising players for another defeat.

“We played well, we didn’t deserve to draw the game, we deserved to win it. But when you create the amount of clear-cut chances, and some of them were one-on-ones, that we did today you expect to hit the target.

“The goal was a bit of fluke and that was the first time Northampton had a chance on our goal and we were disappointed with the way we defended it.

“We were better than Northampton in every department other than one area, putting the ball in the net. Marc Richards was the difference between the two sides and that’s probably why Northampton will go up automatically and we could struggle to do the same.

“Their keeper has walked away with the man of the match award and we’ll go away with nothing. It’s all about fine margins and I could see the game going the same way as the Plymouth game.

“The disappointing thing is that anyone at the games against Plymouth and Northampton knows we should have six more points than we have and those two sides should have three less.

“You can do one of two things, either feel sorry for yourself or stick your chest out and go again, and I know which one I want to do.”