Fresh from their breathtaking exploits in East London on Saturday, United came in to their Bank Holiday Monday game unchanged and in determined mood, as the end of season run-in gathered pace, with just nine games left to play.
The midfield, so important to the way that John Ward is asking his team to play at the moment, picked up where they had left off at Orient in the early exchanges, first in the tackle and always available.
Good pressure from a corner in the 3rd minute led to an early chance when Lumsdon lofted the half clearance back in to the box. Graham got to it, and drilled a near post shot beneath Bunn. It careered back off the base of the woodwork, and Gyepes was well placed to clear it as Hackney waited to tap in the rebound.
Bunn then had to tip a thundering 23-yarder from Hackney over the bar as it threatened to dip beneath the woodwork, when Grant Smith retrieved a deep Bridge-Wilkinson corner that had been flapped away by the worried keeper.
Lumsdon was next to go close when Murphy nodded a Bridge-Wilkinson corner out towards the edge of the 18-yard box. The spritely midfielder took it on his chest, and was inches away from his first of the season with a half volley that had Bunn well beaten.
The Cobblers settled and won a string of corners as they tried to press forward, but Westwood was equal to the deliveries as he commanded his area well.
At the other end, Bunn was looking worried about the set-piece deliveries from Bridge-Wilkinson and Hackney, and he was lucky to come away unscathed as he got his fingertips to a 17th minute curler that was heading for the back of his net. Hackney took the next one, and Murphy rose highest, but could only send his powerful header over the bar.
The Cobblers crafted an excellent opportunity of their own in the 25th minute when they took the ball down the left. Jones cut it back, and Akinfenwa decided to trap it, 13-yards out, ignoring the cries of the rapidly arriving Giles Coke, and succeeding only in poking it over the bar as he hurried his shot.
Giles Coke tried one from distance as the visitors got in to it more, and Grant Smith was in the right place to block a Dolman shot, at the near post, from a mis-hit Jackman corner.
Akinfenwa then released Coke again on 33 minutes, with the slightest of touches in midfield, but he couldn't get his left foot shot on target as he burst in to the box.
Horwood sent one at the keeper in the 35th minute, when he won a 50:50 challenge, and he was in the action again when he whipped a dangerous ball in to the mix on 39 miutes as United flooded the box. Taylor tried to get to it first, and Graham had his point blank volley blocked by Bunn as he steamed in at the far post.
Half Time: United 0 - 0 Cobblers
The Cobblers had the first chance after the break when Akinfenwa battled with Murphy for a near post cross in to the area. The defender got a clearance on to it, but Jackman was waiting on the edge of the area for any sign of a an error. He latched on to it, but his shot was weak and was easily gathered by Westwood.
Taylor won a corner for United at the other end, and it proved to be a pivotal moment as Hackney sent it in. Murphy won the flick, and Danny Livesey made no mistake as he scooped it in to the roof of the net.
A long throw from Murphy caused more problems in the 54th minute, and Taylor had an agonising wait when he lobbed it over the keeper and towards the roof of the net. All he could do was watch as it dropped just inches over the bar.
Wonderful football tore Northampton to pieces on the hour mark, with Hackney heavily involved all the way. His final pass, which took Holt out of the equation, sent Graham one on one with Bunn, and his toe poke beneath the keeper somehow drifted the wrong side of the post as it looked to all intents and purposes as if it was going in.
Burnell thumped a poor effort well over in the 61st minute, but it was still Carlisle with the better football, which was on show again, in the 70th minute. Taylor and Raven took it down the right, and it eventually came to Grant Smith, via a Hackney deflection, but he pulled his right foot shot just wide of the upright as the crowd set themselves to celebrate.
Simon Hackney should have done better on 78 minutes when Graham flicked a long ball forward in to his path. He stayed strong and held off two challenges but, with just Bunn to beat, he went for the lob and placed it in to the grateful keeprs hands.
Straight up to the other end and Coke was played through by Hayes, finding himself with a clear route to goal and with just Westwood to beat. The United keeper was on his toes, and got down quickly to execute an excellent save.
United took advantage of a terrible mix up in the 85th minute when Danny Graham kept calm in the face of the onrushing Mark Bunn. Tight by the bye line he cut it back to Marc Bridge-Wilkinson who had the relatively simple task of slotting it in to the gaping net.
It was a cracking end to the game, as the home side played the remaining time out in possession, and the final whistle welcomed their fourteenth consecutive home win in a row as they consolidated their place in the top two.
Goals
United - Livesey (50), Bridge-Wilkinson (85)
Teams
United - Westwood, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood, Taylor (Dobie 73), Bridge-Wilkinson, G Smith, Lumsdon (Arnison 89), Hackney (Carlton 84), Graham. Subs - Howarth, Madine.
Cobblers - Bunn, Crowe, Jakcman (Larkin 63), Gyepes (Holt 40), Coke, Akinfenwa, Burnell, Dolman, Jones, Little, Hubertz (Hayes 63). Subs - Henderson, Dunn.
Away fans - 320
