Jon Brady said he took plenty from Saturday’s pre-season fixture at Stamford.
“I was really impressed with Stamford, it was a physical work out for us and it has probably given us the little jolt we needed,” he said.
“The way Stamford went about the game was really good, they were mentally and physically strong and it was a really good work out for us. It was a test that we needed."
Speaking about former Cobblers defender Jay Williams, who played in the game as a trialist, Brady added:
“Jay is a free agent and today was an opportunity for us to take a look at him. He’s been with some other clubs since he left us and it was a chance for us to see how he has developed.
“He has gained some good experience and he is a player I know very well. He captained my youth team but he is just one of many players we are taking a look at and we will see how things develop.”