Steven Gillepsie's 12th goal of the campaign earned Cheltenham Town a valuable Coca-Cola League One point this afternoon.
The Liverpudlian struck six minutes before the break to hand the Robins a deserved half time advantage.
Northampton, however, created the better chances after the interval and registered the equaliser 14 minutes from time.
Cheltenham have now tasted defeat just once in seven outings and with Gillingham being held by Carlisle in Kent, Keith Downing's side have five games to maintain their eight-point cushion in their bid to avoid the drop.
Robins' manager Downing made a couple of changes to the side that defeated Leyton Orient on Easter Monday.
Alan Wright recovered from his Achilles injury in time to reclaim his spot at left back, allowing Jerry Gill to return to his familiar role on the right at the expense of Andy Gallinagh.
Ashley Vincent meanwhile replaced Michael D'Agostino and took up a position ahead of the veteran full back on the right flank in a 4-4-2 shape, while Cobblers' manager Stuart Gray used a 4-3-3 formation with Adebayo Akinfenwa flanked by Jonathon Hayes and Andy Holt in attack.
Northampton could have been one up inside two minutes when Andy Holt met Jason Crowe's delivery from the right at the back post, although his header flew over the top left angle of the frame.
David Bird had Cheltenham's first opportunity of the afternoon with a quarter of an hour played after Gillespie was fouled on the edge of the penalty area by Joe Burnell. The midfielder however saw his 20-yard free-kick sail over the top left corner of goalkeeper Mark Bunn's goal.
Shane Higgs was the unlikely source of the next chance a minute later, thumping a huge kick downfield which caught his opposite number off guard. The ball bounced high of the wet surface but Bunn recovered sufficiently to touch it over for a corner. Wright swung it in from the right but Shane Duff's back post header was well wide.
Then Vincent had a great chance to break the deadlock when he was teed up by Gillespie 12 yards from goal but the winger failed to examine the Cobblers' number one, striking his left footer straight at him.
Gillespie had a shout for a penalty kick waved away after he felt Mark Little impeded his angled run, while the striker shot wide 10 minutes from the break but he finally added his 12th goal of the season in the 39th minute following a sweeping move by the home side.
Scott Brown picked it up deep inside his own half and offloaded to Bird who released Gillepsie with a superb ball down the inside right channel.
The Liverpudlian timed his run to perfection and carried it to the edge of the penalty area before drilling it across Bunn and inside the left upright to hand his side a deserved advantage at the interval.
Armstrong drew Bunn into an early second half save, while Higgs registered his second shot on target when again one of his massive clearances needed to be saved.
But Northampton carved the first clear chance of the second period after Wright slipped and allowed Hayes to skip past him and travel into the box.
The winger squared the ball to Akinfenwa, unmarked eight yards from goal but the former Swansea and Torquay United front man inexplicably scuffed his effort and dragged it wide of the target.
It was a huge let-off for the home side, who could have taken advantage in the 65th minute when Gillespie unlocked the Northampton defence with a measured ball from the right but unfortunately from a Cheltenham perspective, Brown failed to get the ball under control to release a shot.
Vincent and Gill combined well on the right 20 minutes from time to set up Connor but his header drifted over the bar. The striker then glanced Vincent's delivery wide a couple of minutes later with Cheltenham looking relatively comfortable, but the Cobblers earned a 76th minute corner when substitute Ian Henderson saw his angled drive deflect off Shane Duff for a corner from the left.
Daniel Jones swung it in low and Giles Coke, who wasn't picked up in the area, steered the ball beyond Higgs to get Northampton back on terms.
The visitors finshed strongly, but substitute Damian Spencer arrowed an effort in six minutes from time which Bunn beat away for a corner while Vincent glanced Lindegaard's corner across the goalmouth and wide.
At the other end, replacement Poul Hubertz cottoned onto Akinfewa's ball inside the area and smacked the left upright from a tight angle before Akinfenwa called Higgs into a sharp parry a moment later.
There was a final chance for Northampton when Danny Jackman struck a 30-yard free-kick from a central position but Higgs got down well and smothered the effort.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Higgs; Gill (c), Duff, Keogh, Wright; Vincent (D'Agostino 87), Bird, Arsmtrong, S Brown (Lindegaard 70); Gillespie, Connor (Spencer 81). Subs not used: SP Brown (Gk), Connolly.
NORTHAMPTON TOWN (4-3-3): Bunn; Crowe, Little, Dolman, Jones; Coke, Burnell (c) (Larkin 57), Jackman, Hayes (Hubertz 73), Akinfenwa, Holt (Henderson 57). Subs not used: Dunn (gk), Johnson.
REFEREE: KG Evans (Greater Manchester)
ATTENDANCE: 4,024 (585 from Northampton)