Cobblers boss Keith Curle had mixed feelings as he reflected on Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Stevenage.
“We gained a good foothold in the first half but we didn’t put the game to bed,” he said.
“In the second half we didn’t do the simple things well and when we were on the front foot more often than not we picked the wrong option.
“We’ve gained a point on the play-offs today which is a positive but we need to earn the right and we aren’t going to get things all our own way.
“We are going in the right direction but we are still on a learning curve.
“We’ve shown a sprinkling of what is to come but we need a bit more game understanding.”