Needing a home win against fellow play-off contenders Bury and a host of other results to go their way, Ian Sampson's side drew 1-1 with the Shakers, Bayo Akinfenwa levelling in stoppage time.
An 11th place finish is the final reckoning for the Cobblers, disappointing in terms of their surge up the table in recent months but a superb achievement given where they were going into 2010.
For Akinfenwa, a 17th league strike of the season ended an excellent campaign for him on a personal high.