Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is looking for his team to show character as they prepare to take on Scunthorpe United for the third time in 15 days.
After two Emirates FA Cup meetings, the two sides meet again at Sixfields on Saturday with Sky Bet League 1 points at stake.
“It’s about how you respond after a defeat and it’s a moment for a team to show their character,” he said.
“Scunthorpe are a top team and we’ve seen that.
“The first half on Tuesday night wasn’t acceptable from our point of view but in the second half we were better.
“We want to grow as a team and we want to keep improving.
“The performance at Oxford was good but we don’t just want to replicate that, we want to better it.”