John Ward had the luxury of being able to field another unchanged starting eleven for the trip to the Sixfields with captain Paul Thirlwell taking a place on the bench as he continued on his return to full fitness.

The Cobblers, with no wins in five games, left Poul Hubertz on the sidelines as they searched for the blend to help with their climb away from the wrong end of the table.

United mounted their first attack with just 49 seconds on the clock with Aranalde floating a free kick deep in to Bunn's area. Carlton challenged for it, forcing the keeper to punch clear. Aranalde took the resulting throw in quickly and then, having played a one/two with Garner, forced Bunn to flap at it once more when he lobbed his cross high and in to the wind.

The Cumbrians were almost caught out in the 6th minute, though, when Keogh tried to take the ball in to the Northampton half. He lost out to Hughes, leaving his side light at the back. Jackman exploited the unexpected gap, getting to the goal line and cutting it back for Johnson to race on to, 9 yards from goal. His eyes lit up, but Lumsdon and Livesey combined to block the shot and to protect their keeper.

Westwood showed his agility from the wind assisted Jones delivery that followed, clawing the curling corner out from beneath the bar before picking it up at the second attempt with Kirk breathing down his neck.

The Cumbrians came close themselves in the 13th minute when Carlton took possession out wide and waited for the right moment to pass. He fed it inside to Bridge-Wilkinson, and his touch sent it onwards to Anyinsah, who had his back to goal on the penalty spot. His attempted spin and volley resulted in an air shot, but a poor clearance from Jackman set it up nicely for Bridge-Wilkinson, just 7 yards out. Opting for precision he tried to find the top corner, only for Hughes to put himself in the way.

Dolman had a speculative 30-yarder in the 15th minute, with Bridge-Wilkinson replying in kind with a dipping free kick on 19 minutes, as both sides kept the tempo of the game high in the difficult conditions.

Dolman should have put the Cobblers ahead in the 22nd minute when a Jackman corner seemed to hang in the air for an age. Carlton won it, but he sent it back across the face of goal and it popped up right in front of the unmarked defender. A rushed flick directed it towards the top corner, but it had too much on it and it angled over the bar.

The home side were made to pay almost immediately when Dolman scythed down Simon Hackney, 22 yards out, to prevent the nippy wide man from bursting through in to the area. Marc Bridge-Wilkinson placed the ball and curled an unstoppable free kick over the wall and in to the back of the net, leaving Bunn completely wrong footed.

The response from Northampton was swift, with an equaliser from absolutely nowhere in the 28th minute when Jason Crowe unleashed one from distance, through a gaggle of bodies. Westwood scrambled across to get it, but it skidded off the surface and whistled in to the bottom corner, levelling the scores.

Bowditch followed that up with a weak 10-yard volley as Jones continued to find some joy down the Carlisle left flank with his runs and crosses, and Kirk was a constant threat as he patrolled the penalty box, looking for the bits and pieces.

A spinning Henderson free kick delivery brought an uncharacteristic spill from Westwood just before half time but, luckily for the United stopper, it fell behind for a corner.

Johnson ended the half with a wild free kick that flew in to the stands, and United went down the tunnel knowing that the wind would be in their favour after the break.

Half Time: Cobblers 1 - 1 United

A more subdued start to the second period wasn't helped by the frequency of the Referee's whistle, with Bowditch the first to create anything in the 55th minute when he ran down the right. A fizzed cross was cut out by Livesey and he was called in to action again when Johnson headed it back towards goal. The defender's intervention deflected it wide, but not without Westwood watching anxiously to ensure that it wasn't creeping in to his top corner.

The Cobblers were seeing more of the ball, but they weren't hurting United as they struggled to find a way through the stubborn back line.

United were rewarded for their patience in the 62nd minute when Aranalde lofted a deep free kick towards the back post. Bunn came for it, but Livesey, Raven and Carlton were on top of him, forcing the spill. Joe Garner accepted the gift with gusto, smashing a blistering volley in to the gaping net to restore the lead.

Danny Carlton pounced on a defensive error in the 70th minute and came close to extending the lead with a fierce near post effort that Bunn had to palm behind as it crept towards his bottom corner.

New arrival Paul Thirlwell came as close as he ever will to scoring without actually doing the deed on 73 minutes when a half cleared corner rolled out towards him a yard outside the penalty area. HIs curling shot beat everybody but shaved the woodwork as it made its way in to the crowd.

Andy Kirk had a scuffed shot that was easy for Westwood, as Bowditch slid the ball on to him 12 yards out, and it signalled a better spell for the home side as they went in search of a goal. Gilligan brought the save of the day out of Westwood in the 83rd minute when he connected sweetly, 25 yards out. The keeper dived late, but got both hands to it and was able to divert it away. Raven then had to clear off the line as the corner was nodded over Westwood and dropped towards the back post.

Dolman put a header inches wide on 89 minutes, and Danny Graham battled for a Thirlwell pass as the clock ticked down, stabbing a shot goalwards that Bunn did well to get to.

However, it was heartbreak for United in time added on when Johnson stole in to the space in front of the back line and guided a left foot shot underneath the despairing dive of Westwood, grabbing his side a late, late point.

Goals

Cobblers - Crowe (28), Johnson (90)

United - Bridge-Wilkinson (25), Garner (62)

Bookings

Cobblers - Dolman (24), Bunn (62), Hughes (77)

United - Aranalde (45), Carlton (49), Livesey (56), Lumsdon (77), Bridge-Wilkinson (89)

Teams

Cobblers - Bunn, Crowe, Jackman (Gilligan 68), Hughes, Kirk (Burnell 85), Holt, Henderson (Hubertz 68), Johnson, Dolman, Jones, Bowditch. Subs - Branston, Dunn.

United - Westwood, Raven, Livesey, Keogh, Aranalde, Anyinsah, Bridge-Wilkinson, Lumsdon, Hackney (Thirlwell 69), Garner (Graham 85), Carlton (Gall 80). Subs - Howarth, Murphy.

Away fans - 732