Ian Sampson admitted his young Cobblers reserve side paid the price for a number of players picking up injuries as they lost 2-0 to Colchester United in their final game of the season.

"I was disappointed with the result but we had a fairly young side out there and it gave us a good chance to have a look at some of the first year scholars and some of the fringe players," he said.

"I was disappointed with our performance in the first half but I think they did a lot better in the second half and this game will be a good marker for some of the younger lads trying to make their way into the professional game.

"We created a couple of decent opportunities in the second half but we perhaps just lacked that little bit of quality in our finishing.

"The nature of the goals we conceded was a bit disappointing and I think they could have been avoided really, it was just a case of a bit of a lack of communication.

"I think some of the players were maybe a little bit off it in the first half but in the second half their endeavour and discipline was much better.

"Ian Henderson pulled out of the warm up with a bruised heel and we had to bring Jonathan Hayes off after he took a nasty knock to his ankle at the start of the second half.

"That was quite a bad one and we will have to see how it settles down.

"Chris Dunn picked up a slight dead leg and just as a precaution we asked Liam Dolman to take the goal kicks but I'm sure he will be OK and it's not a recurrence of the injury he had earlier in the season."

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