A rebuilt Northampton Town side shared the spoils with Accrington Stanley, play-off semi-finalists last season after a goalless draw at Sixfields.
"We can definitely improve but all in all I thought it was a good performance," was the verdict of home boss Gary Johnson who felt that grabbing the 'elusive' first goal would have made Stanley come out and opened up the play.
Opposite number John Coleman, again working on a shoestring budget with the Lancashire side, felt all three points could have gone back up north.
"We made enough chances to win it," he said. "They made a couple of good chances themselves but we had some stout defending. I think on the balance of play we probably shaded it."
The Cobblers travel to Aldershot next weekend but before then it a competition which provided some fantastic memories last season, the League Cup, and a trip to Ipswich Town who knocked Northampton out in 2010/11 after the wins over Brighton, Reading and Liverpool.