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Wilder: We're missing Richards

Image: Chris Wilder: Northampton struggling for goals

Chris Wilder admitted Northampton are finding it tough without top scorer Marc Richards following the 2-0 defeat against Carlisle.

Cobblers ran out of steam at Sixfields where second half goals from Jason Kennedy and Kyle Dempsey's eighth of the season earned battling Carlisle all three points. Northampton had won their previous six home games but badly missed the injured Richards and influential play-maker Ricky Holmes. Wilder said: "Our standards have been very high but that was a below par performance from us and it's a missed opportunity. "This is a tough league and teams are fighting for their lives, they aren't going to come here and roll over for us. We didn't do enough in the final third to win the game but we had enough opportunities in the first half. "We've been excellent recently but we didn't have our usual tidy play around their box and I don't think any single player can stick their hand up and say they've had a good game. "Carlisle were happy to sit deep and make it very difficult for us but we were very laboured and lacked any zip and sharpness. They've hit us on the break with two quick goals and we never recovered from that. "I felt the players looked a little bit sorry for themselves and we never looked like getting back in it once the second goal went in. It was very flat all night, on and off the pitch, and we need the first goal to go in for us. "But we we're missing two big players in Ricky Holmes and Marc Richards. "We have to battle through this period but we need another player at the top end of the pitch because we can't keeping doing it without our top scorer (Richards). Ricky [Holmes] has had a scan and doesn't need an operation so that's about the only positive thing. "But missing those players isn't the reason we've lost. We've played poorly in both games against Carlisle and they've comfortably taken six points off us." After seeing his side pick up only their second victory in eight outings to edge closer to safety Carlisle boss Keith Curle said: "I know there will have been raised eyebrows about my selection, my tactics and my formation, and questions would have been asked about that. "But I've got a big belief in what we've got in the changing room. I'll do whatever it takes to get this club a result and I've never had any shadow of a doubt that this team is behind me and my methods "We came with a game plan and we stuck to it. Our message at half-time was to have a little bit more belief because we weren't retaining the ball as much as we can do. "Through that we got ourselves a goal and that does change a game. Northampton afforded us time and space on the ball and we didn't really make the most of that in the first half. "We looked dangerous and the important thing to say was that this was a win for the whole squad."

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