The Cobblers crashed out of the FA Cup with a 3-2 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. Billy McKay got Town back into the game at 2-1 just before the hour mark but the League Two club could not build on the goal and Kevin Thornton`s strike in injury time was mere consolation.
"I'm disappointed we didn't get a replay because I thought we had a real good go at it in the second half," said Sampson. "I was a little bit disappointed with the way we played in the first 25 minutes. I thought we probably showed Sheffield Wednesday too much respect and we were lucky to go in 2-0 down at half-time. But we responded really well in the second half. I thought we dominated the second half."
Sampson added: "I think it should give us quite a bit of confidence because we know we can perform to a decent level against teams in higher divisions. We've beaten Liverpool, Reading and Brighton in cup competitions this season.
"We`ve struggled in the league but let's hope they can take confidence from that. If they have a bit more belief, I'm sure we can get away from the bottom of the table. I've got great belief in the players."
Source: PA
Source: PA