Sheehan will continue to pull up his team-mates if they don't do the basics

Cobblers defender Alan Sheehan says it is 'nothing personal' when he vents his frustration in the direction of team-mates whilst on the pitch.

The 34-year-old, who captained Luton Town to successive promotions, has been a vocal presence in the four games he's started for Northampton, something that is accentuated by the lack of noise in empty grounds.

Sheehan talked to his team-mates in no uncertain terms during parts of Saturday's defeat to Accrington Stanley as the Cobblers endured another frustrating afternoon.

"That's just part of football," said the centre-back. "I've got high standards and I would expect some of the boys to do the same to me if they saw I was not doing something right.

"It's nothing personal, it's more 'come on, let's liven up' because we have got to be better. They were winning more second balls than us, we didn't do the basics right and they really killed the game in the second-half.

"It was hard to build any momentum. Fair play to them for doing that and they were taking their time for free-kicks and we just weren't able to get a foothold in the game in the second-half."

Sheehan is not the first person to suggest the Cobblers need to be more 'streetwise' now they have stepped up a level.

"Accrington know how to manage a game," he added. "When they had a free-kick, you don't see them rushing to take it. They're a goal up and they know the conditions are horrendous and it takes them 30, 40 seconds to get set up and take the free-kick.

"It happened numerous times, everyone saw it, but that's what you've got to do to win, gain every edge you can, so I'm not complaining about it. They just managed the game well and that's what it takes to win. Streetwise was the word I used afterwards because we need to make better decisions."