Wanderers drew a blank in front of goal for the second home game running on another afternoon of frustration at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, writes Pete Oliver.
The Whites did have chances - amid a total of 17 goal attempts - to secure a first win in three games to kick-start 2026 and the second half of their season.
But the ruthless streak has currently deserted Steven Schumacher’s men and on an afternoon when neither side managed an effort on target they had to settle for a point from a welcome clean sheet to maintain their place in the top six.
With Wanderers having dropped points in their last two games and playing a fourth fixture in 10 days, Schumacher made seven changes to his starting line-up to try and freshen things up to finish the festive programme on a positive note.
Richard Taylor made a first league start for the club as Max Conway’s ever-present run at left-back came to an end, while Tyler Miller, George Johnston, Ethan Erhahon and Mason Burstow were the quartet to keep their places following the New Year’s Day draw at Doncaster Rovers.
Josh Sheehan was back to conduct the play and noticeably looked to release winger Amario Cozier-Duberry over the top early on in a bid to by-pass Northampton’s defensive line.
From the opposite flank Ibrahim Cissoko provided a couple of dangerous balls into the penalty area but after Town had gone closest with a Terry Taylor effort which had clipped the crossbar, Wanderers’ biggest first-half threats came from set-pieces.
Burstow saw an effort chalked off after George Johnston had been penalised for a push on goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons and as the Cobblers struggled to deal with Cyrus Christie’s deliveries, Taylor and Kyle Dempsey both headed just wide.
Cozier-Duberry had also fired wide from an Ethan Erhahon pass and 10 minutes into the second half it was the wideman who had the best chance yet for the Whites as he collected a Burstow pass and went past the last Town defender before dragging his effort wide.
Burstow was closer from long-range with an effort which skimmed the outside of the post and following a double switch in attack from the visitors, Schumacher also shuffled his pack with Conway and Joel Randall introduced from the bench.
Wanderers raised the tempo in their urgency to try and force the break-through with their most sustained spell of pressure although they could have been caught out with 20 minutes to go when Kyle Edwards released Sam Hoskins for a chance the Cobblers’ forward fired wide.
The visitors sensed then they could possibly go on and win it as they pushed Wanderers back and substitute Tom Eaves wasn’t too far away with an angled volley which flew just wide with five minutes to go.
Wanderers needed a late spark from somewhere to win back the initiative and possibly all three points and it almost came from Dempsey who drove into the box, played a one-two with Sam Dalby but then struck his effort just too high to provide the big finish the Whites needed.
Wanderers: Miller; Christie 76) (Osei-Tutu, Toal, Johnston, Taylor (Conway 58); Sheehan; Cozier-Duberry, Dempsey, Erhahon (Randall 58), Cissoko (Gale 67); Burstow (Dalby 76). Substitutes: Sharman-Lowe, Simons.
Booked: None
Northampton: Fitzsimons; Dyche (Willis 65), Guthrie, Guiness-Walker; Wormleighton, Taylor, Campbell, Perkins (Swyer 80); List (Eaves 56), Hoskins; Vale (Edwards 56). Substitutes: Burge, Burroughs, Jacobs.
Booked: None
Referee: Alex Chilowicz
Attendance: 20,333 (464 away)