Cobblers boss Keith Curle was a happy man as he reflected on Saturday’s 3-0 Carabao Cup first round victory over Championship side Cardiff City.
“We’ve got some new personnel and some new characters with different ability sets but we haven’t gone away from our fundamentals,” he said.
“There were lots of positives, there are still things we can work on and improve on but for a first competitive game you have to say well done to the changing room.
“We can be a bit more creative and our final ball can be better but the players have set their standards and we are not going to drift too far away from our fundamentals.
“The players are understanding their requirements and what is needed and their application has been very good."
Curle concluded by praising the contributions of Harry Smith and debutant Ricky Korboa.
“Harry is a threat, he gave us a focal point, he’s a competitor and he understands what we want from him.
“I like Ricky’s desire and he’s really bought into what we are trying to do which is massively important.
“There is still more to come from them both.”