Curle: We needed three points

The Cumbrians were able to leapfrog both Tranmere and York at the foot of the Football League thanks to Brad Potts' second-half winner.

Marc Richards had scored his 10th goal of the season from the penalty spot for the Cobblers in first-half stoppage-time to cancel out Troy Archibald-Henville's opener.

Curle said: "We needed that win today.

"I was pleased because we knew Northampton would put us under pressure but we showed some back bone and stood up to their physical approach.

"We've given everything we've got. We're still a work in progress but the players showed strength of character to get the result. We needed that win but now it's vital we follow it up with another."

The home side took the lead on 16 minutes as Archibald-Henville grabbed his first goal for the club when his flicked header on the edge of the six-yard box from Kyle Dempsey's corner flew past Matt Duke.

The Cobblers battled back into the game and equalised in the fourth minute of first-half injury time when Richards converted from the penalty spot after David Amoo's clumsy tackle brought down Evan Horwood.

Curle was quick to praise Amoo's response to that mistake, as he terrorised the Northampton defence after the break.

Curle added: "Their goal came from David switching off in the area. But, rather than give him a rollicking, we gave him the ball and played to our strengths which paid off. He was excellent and they couldn't cope with him."

Amoo played an integral part as Carlisle went 2-1 up 62 minutes in, beating Horwood on the right and firing in a low cross that Potts flicked into the net for his seventh goal of the season.

Northampton boss Chris Wilder bemoaned his side's luck as they went down to a third successive defeat, but insisted his side were the better team and could pull away from trouble.

"I thought our performance in general was good and we controlled the game for an away side," said Wilder.

"We started brightly, were quick on the front foot and from box to box we were the better side.

"We've had enough chances to win a couple of games but far too often we didn't show enough quality. We should have had another penalty and their player should have been sent off but that's the kind of luck we're getting at the moment."