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Photo: Alan Howarth

DIRECTING OPERATIONS . . . Athletic manager Stephen Robinson gets his point across at SportsDirect.com Park last night

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STEPHEN Robinson took on the mantle of Sir Alex Ferguson as the fourth official prepared to raise the board signalling how much added time was to be played last night.

Athletic had the game by the scruff of the neck in the main.

Late on, the pace of Darius Osei caused Zander Diamond such problems he resorted to foul means to yank back the youngster as the Cobblers defender left him in a cloud of dust.

NIGGLED

Northampton niggled away, wasted time and generally clung on, limpet-like, to record a 27th consecutive game unbeaten.

Robinson tapped his watch at the official, imploring for more time to be allowed for his team to find a winning goal.

In the end, five minutes extra wasn't enough.

How you judge this one depends on perspective.

Athletic certainly look better than at this stage 12 months ago.

Yes, 270 minutes of Sky Bet League One action without a goal does not represent a bursting out of the blocks.

Here, though, as against Walsall, the home team were the better of the two on show and could - should, even - have won.

Lee Erwin has been exceptionally close to opening his account.

On Saturday, his header directed at a post was a tad wasteful.

Here, in the 32nd minute, he took on a pass from Lee Croft and despite a sea of bodies in front of him hit the target.

Aaron Phillips had to be at full stretch to hack the ball clear from off the line.

As so often in this division, small margins are at play. Athletic and the 18 new signings are coming along.

The cohesion is not quite there yet in the final third, but defensively the team is as impressively stubborn as consecutive clean sheets implies.

Robinson made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Walsall three days earlier. Out went Jamie Reckord and Marc Klok ­- the former absent due to a tight groin, the latter making the bench - with ex-Wycombe and Blackpool man Charles Dunne in for a debut at left-back and Lee Croft playing on the right of midfield.

FAMILIAR

Northampton's defence featured a familiar figure in ex-Athletic centre-back Diamond, while there were three other former players on the Cobblers' bench: David Cornell, Joel Byrom and Marc Richards, plus Harry Beautyman who was briefly on trial at SportsDirect.com Park in the summer.

Athletic set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Ousmane Fane screening the back four and Erwrin playing wide on the left - a move that allowed Ryan Flynn to operate in the 'hole' behind Billy Mckay.

Fresh from a 1-1 draw at Charlton, Northampton started marginally the better of the sides and nearly went ahead on seven minutes.

Matthew Taylor fired in a free-kick from the left and with players massing in front of him, Connor Ripley could only parry the ball straight out in front of him.

It fell nicely for Alex Revell, but the experienced target man could only fire a first-time effort way over the top as it fell to him quickly.

It was to be the visitors' only clear-cut chance of the game.

Athletic improved as the half wore on and almost took the lead in the 32nd minute.

Dunne took up possession with positive intent on the left and as defenders moved across to block a predicted cross, he stepped into the box and hit a shot that was blocked into the path of Croft.

Electing to tee up a team-mate rather than go for goal , Erwin came so close to breaking the deadlock but for Phillips's intervention.

Erwin then turned creator with a lovely cushioned pass to a breaking Josh Law just before the interval.

The right-back moved into a shooting position but the angle was tight and his attempt was a distance away from flying in at the near post.

Northampton dug in determinedly after that, earning six bookings along the way. Without Klok and Ollie Banks, who was on the bench, Athletic's stream of set-pieces lacked sufficient quality to really test the visitors.

Peter Clarke warmed Adam Smith's palms with an ambitious 30-yarder after earlier halting a Kenji Gorre run with a robust block.

Athletic made a switch to put Erwin as the central striker with Mckay out wide on the left but still the breakthrough would not arrive.

TRICKERY

Calaum Jahraldo-Marton offered pace and trickery after his introduction and Josh Law produced crosses that Rob Page's side defended well against.

At the death, Gorre poked wide with his left foot from a rare Northampton foray while Jahraldo-Martin fizzed a shot from 20 yards a couple of feet over the bar.

Robinson looked to his watch in some frustration, but there is promise here that time will improve Athletic as an attacking force.

IN A NUTSHELL: Rock-solid, but still in search of goals.