Northampton were beaten 1-0 in their opening day game away at Bristol Rovers after conceding a late goal.
Rovers debutant Bryant Bilongo scored an injury time goal to give the home side the three points, as Northampton slipped up in the final moments.
Defeat therefore sees Northampton start the campaign with zero points against a side they finished one place above in the League One table last season.
Jon Brady fielded two of his new signings from the start, with Cameron McGeehan and Callum Morton making the starting line-up, with four more on the bench, although illness, suspension and injury ruled out some of his other selection options.
Northampton nearly took the lead in unconventional fashion, as Morton charged down Josh Griffiths’ attempted clearance and saw the ball ricochet in to the net.
A tight opening phase had seen a few half-chances appear but Bristol Rovers then began to up the ante, and they came close as Lee Burge first denied Grant Ward and then made a better stop to deny a firm hit by Promise Omochere.
Isaac Hutchinson saw an effort blocked by Jordan Willis just after the break, before Luke Thomas and Omochere both missed the target with efforts.
Morton and Sam Hoskins both narrowly missed the target with efforts for Northampton as the game moved into the final 20 minutes.
Burge denied Kamil Conteh but it looked as though the game was set to end up as a draw as it moved into seven minutes of stoppage time.
That was, however, until Northampton’s defence was breached in the second minute of stoppage time. From Thomas’ corner, Bilongo forced it over the line for a debut goal and a winning goal.
Hoskins missed the target with an effort right at the end of stoppage time, but there was no equaliser forthcoming for the Cobblers.
Northampton will seek a first win of the campaign on Tuesday when they host fellow League One side Wycombe in the play-offs, before a first home league match of the new season against Exeter City at Sixfields on Saturday.
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